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Eggplant Jam

Adapted from From Tapas to Meze (Ten Speed Press) by Joanne Weir The amount of salt will vary, depending on how much you use to salt the eggplant, and what salt you use. So you may need to adjust it before serving.
  • 3 medium eggplants
  • kosher or sea salt, or similar flaky salt
  • olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon harissa, or hot sauce
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Optional:, Pomegranate molasses for serving (see Note)
  • Rinse and dry the eggplants, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel in vertical strips, leaving about an inch (3 cm) of space between each peeling. Slice the eggplant lengthwise, about 1/2-inch (2 cm) thick.
  • Sprinkle a modest amount of salt on the eggplants and let stand vertically in a colander for about 30 minutes, shaking it every once in a while over the sink to extract some of the eggplant juices.
  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Brush two baking sheets fairly well with olive oil and lay the eggplant slices on the baking sheets in a single layer, then flip them over.
  • Bake the eggplants for about 25 minutes, flipping them on the baking sheets midway during baking.
  • Once the eggplants are cooked, put them in a large bowl with the garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon or allspice, harissa, and water, and mash them well with a fork or potato masher. (Not all the eggplant skins will break up into little pieces. They do get rather soft during the double cooking, but if you’re the kind of person bothered by them, you can briefly pulse the cooked eggplant in a food processor or chop it on a cutting board with a chef’s knife.)
  • Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook the mashed eggplant mixture on rather low heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. It tends to stick a bit, but just scrape in those brown bits which might form on the bottom of the pan.
  • Continue to cook the eggplant until it’s thick and most of the moisture is removed, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and let cook another minute, then remove from heat and add the parsley. When cool enough to taste, check and add a bit of salt and lemon juice. Serve drizzled with pomegranate molasses, if you wish.

Notes

Storage: The Eggplant Jam will keep for up to five days in the refrigerator. Serve slightly warm, or at room temperature. Note: Pomegranate molasses, which is sometimes called Pomegranate Syrup, is available in stores that specialize in Middle Eastern and North African products, or online.
You can also make your own pomegranate molasses as well.