Grilled Eggplant with Garlic-Cumin Vinaigrette, Feta & Herbs
Recipe from
Fine Cooking Magazine
This dish looks especially nice served on a platter, with the feta and herbs scattered over grilled eggplant

Servings:
Serves four to six as a side dish
Ingredients
Vinnaigrette
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1small clove garlicsee savings

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Kosher saltsee savings

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1-1/2 tablespoonsfresh lemon juicesee savings

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1small shallot, very finely dicedsee savings

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3 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oilsee savings

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1/2 teaspooncumin seed, lightly toasted and pounded in a mortar or ground in a spice grindersee savings

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Pinch cayenne; more to tastesee savings

Eggplant
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1large globe eggplant (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick roundssee savings

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3 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil; more as neededsee savings

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Kosher salt.see savings

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1/4 cupcrumbled fetasee savings

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2 tablespoonscoarsely chopped fresh mintsee savings

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2 tablespoonscoarsely chopped fresh cilantrosee savings

Directions
1.
Make the vinaigrette: With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and a pinch of salt to a paste, or mince the garlic, sprinkle with salt, and mash into a paste with the side of a chef's knife.
2.
Combine the garlic paste and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Combine the shallot with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt in another small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Whisk the olive oil, cumin, and cayenne into the garlic mixture. Season to taste with salt or cayenne, if necessary.
3.
Grill the eggplant: Prepare a medium-high charcoal or gas grill fire. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt. Grill (covered on a gas grill; uncovered on a charcoal grill) until golden-brown grill marks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the eggplant and grill until tender and well marked on the second sides, 3 to 4 minutes more. The interior should be grayish and soft rather than white and hard.
4.
Top grilled eggplant slices with the shallots, feta, and herbs. Whisk the vinaigrette and drizzle it on top. Serve immediately.
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