Urf 2

We had a thread awhile ago on urfa biber. I have since received a supply and have been cooking with it - very interesting and useful! Thought I'd offer a couple of recipes. The common ingredients are the urfa biber and eggplant.

Eggplant with Urfa Biber Yogurt
serves 4

1 pound eggplant, chopped into large cubes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons urfa biber
2 teaspoons cumin seed, toasted
1 cup strained (Greek) yogurt
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Toss eggplant with several heavy pinches of salt and place in a colander over sink. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet on high until it smokes, then add just enough olive oil to thinly coat bottom. Add eggplant and toss to coat with oil. Stir infrequently for five minutes until eggplant develops a char on several sides. Reduce heat to medium and cook until eggplant is very tender, stirring more frequently than before to prevent burning.

Add garlic, urfa biber, and cumin and cook for 1 minute or until spices are aromatic, then turn off heat and quickly stir in yogurt to coat. Cook until yogurt sauce tightens slightly and little pools of orange oil form. Add salt to taste and serve immediately with a garnish of chopped cilantro.

Had this last night with an omelet that featured sautéed shallots and gruyere cheese, with a bottle of BC Rosé (for those who might know, it was 2018 LaStella Rosato LaStellina. Excellent. The plain rich flavours of the omelet complemented the somewhat spicy eggplant mixture.

The next one is similar, but instead of chunks of eggplant it calls for pureed skinned eggplant and adds the urfa at the end without cooking. I will be trying this one soon (have to PU some smoked salt - any advice on that?)

SMOKY EGGPLANT WITH PINE NUTS & URFA PEPPER

2 eggplants (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon smoked salt
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for finishing)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 teaspoons Urfa chilies, plus a pinch for garnish
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water (big enough for all of the eggplant) to a boil. Add the eggplant and the tablespoon of salt to the boiling water. Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook at a brisk simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft and translucent. You can use a pair of tongs to test the eggplant. Drain into a colander. In a food processor puree the eggplant with the yogurt, smoked salt, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Place the eggplant mixture into a bowl and stir in the pine nuts and Urfa chilies. Season with additional salt, and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with some extra pine nuts and Urfa chilies for garnish.

[Jenise]

Don't ever make these for me, or I will barfa onto your table. (Seriously, I hate yoghurt. I can use it in a curry sauce but it has to disappear--as a primary sauce ingredient, no, can't eat that.) I can see where for a more cultured person, though, it would be heavenly with the omelette. I highly approve of the high vegetable to egg ratio.

Re smoked salt: if it's not something you use often or much at all, I'd go without. I own a nice alder-smoked salt that I hardly ever use except as a toss on boiled edamame beans or condiment on a white soup. I've been given others that hardly had any smoked flavor. When you look at the ratios in the 2nd recipe, a teaspoon isn't going to produce a lot of smoke flavor and you can in fact create your own 'smoke' flavor by blistering some of the eggplant skin on the open cob of your gas stove. I'd do that instead.

You mean that you'd urf your food? No need with the first recipe - the urfa biber turns the sauce brown and the spicing is quite interesting.

Haven't tried the second one yet but expect that the black urfa would have the same effect on it.

On the smoked salt, the one I got is a fairly heavily smoked alder version that will give plenty of taste. I do a certain amount of vegetarian cooking for guests and I think that using this salt as a finishing salt on my eggplant slices dredged in egg and ground almonds might give a nice BBQ hint to the dish. We shall see. I agree that I probably have a life time supply now. (rather like I do of the chili de Arbol I recall you encouraging me to acquire!) Liked those too

Seriously, I hate yoghurt. I can use it in a curry sauce but it has to disappear--as a primary sauce ingredient, no, can't eat that.

I feel the same way about eggs. The closest I'll come to visible eggs is the scrambled egg component of Cantonese fried rice or pad Thai. I like mayonnaise, although as a child I detested it. I did actually enjoy eggs Benedict once at a restaurant brunch, though.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, we're a lot alike. I will now eat scrambled eggs--I do actually love them in fried rice--and I've really come to enjoy blue-cheese based souffles, but I don't seek them out.