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Karnıyarık
Soft eggplants filled with beef, onion, peppers and tomato, baked in a light tomato sauce.
Peel alternating strips from the eggplants. Salt lightly for 15 minutes and pat dry. Heat oven to 390°F. Brush with half the oil and roast 25 minutes until softened, turning once.
Moisture Control
Blot away surface moisture before the recipe’s oiling and cooking stage.
While they roast, soften onion and chopped green pepper in remaining oil for 6 minutes. Add beef and break it up while browning. Add garlic, chopped tomatoes, half the paste, salt and black pepper. Simmer 8–10 minutes until moist but not watery. Stir in most of the parsley.
Dry-Heat Cooking
Recognize the difference between food releasing liquid and food beginning to brown.
Cut a lengthwise pocket in each eggplant without cutting through. Fill with the beef mixture and top with tomato slices and pepper strips. Mix remaining paste with hot water and pour around the eggplants.
Bake at 375°F for 25–30 minutes until the sauce bubbles and eggplant is completely tender.
The meat filling reaches 160°F and a knife slides easily through the eggplant.
Rest 10 minutes and finish with reserved parsley. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below, use within 3–4 days and reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F.
Roasting the eggplants is an alternative to shallow frying. Slit a pocket without cutting through the base so the filling stays in place.
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