Ո ւ ր ֆ ա ք յ ա բ ա բ
skewers of eggplant and meatballs
Urfa, once an important city in Western Armenia, may have been the origin of this recipe composed of meatballs threaded on skewers with eggplant. This oven-ready dish takes the idea of khorovats and transfers it inside. For a variation, you can thread slices of tomatoes in between the meat and eggplants, which is how Ara grew up eating it.
A popular summer vegetable in Armenia, eggplants are especially good when they get a little char. In this recipe, we use the broiler to capture that effect, though if you have a grill going for khorovats, consider grilling the skewers briefly just for flavor before putting them in the oven to bake. (If grilling, soak the wooden skewers ahead of time to prevent them from burning.) The key here is to get skinny, long eggplants, such as Italian or Japanese varieties. Globe eggplant is too round for this preparation.
Serves 4 to 6
11/2 lb [680 g] ground beef (preferably with an 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio)
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp crushed dried red pepper
4 smallish Japanese or Italian eggplants (about 1 lb [455 g] total)
1 Tbsp sunflower or other neutral oil
Preheat the oven to 350ºF [180ºC]. Lightly oil a roasting pan or half-sheet pan. Have 6 wooden skewers ready.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, onion, 11/2 tsp of salt, the pepper, allspice, and red pepper. Continue to mix the meat for a few minutes until the spices are evenly blended and the meat feels tacky.
Slice the eggplants crosswise into 24 pieces about 1 in [2.5 cm] thick. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and lightly coat with the oil.
Roll the meat into 18 pieces about the size of large golf balls. In alternating layers, starting and ending with the eggplant, thread the eggplant rounds and meatballs onto the skewers so that the pieces fit snugly, using 3 meatballs and 4 eggplant pieces per skewer. Press down gently on the meatballs so they are the same thickness as the eggplant rounds.
Place the skewers in the pan and season the tops with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Cover the pan with foil and bake until the eggplant is very tender when pierced with a fork, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan and turn the oven to broil. Uncover the pan and place under the broiler to crisp up and char the tops of the kebab. Serve on or off the skewers, giving guests at least one skewer. Leftovers keep, refrigerated, for up to 5 days, and make for great lavash wraps when reheated.