Smoked Eggplant Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 eggplant, large
• ½ red pepper (cored, deseeded and finely diced)
• ½ green pepper (cored, deseeded and finely diced)
• -1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic clove (peeled and crushed)
• 1½ lemon (juice)
• sea salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (leaves picked and roughly chopped)

Instructions:

1. Blister and char the eggplants whole over an open flame (either on a barbecue or over a domestic gas burner) until blackened and the flesh has softened right through to the center.  Really blacken and char the skins until they are haredened and completely burned.  Then place the eggplants on a heatproof surface or tray and allow to cool until they are just warm and you are able to handle them.
2. Scoop out the flesh using a large spoon.  Drain off any excess juices and roughly chop the flesh into smallish chuncks.  Place the flesh in a bowl along with the diced peppers and give the mixture a quick stir.
3. Pour the olive oil into a small bowl, add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt and black peppper to taste, and give the dressing a good mix until all the ingredients are evenly blended.  Pour the dressing over the eggplants. Add the parsley and mix everything together one final time before serving with Persian flatbread.

Servings: 7

Source: Persiana, p. 25