Smoky Japanese Eggplant

with Carrot-Hazelnut Romesco

Makes 4 servings

I first made carrot romesco for the WastED dinner series at Manhattan’s Blue Hill restaurant, where chefs were enlisted to create elevated dishes from everyday kitchen scraps. For my turn in the series, we were given a mess of extra carrots and a pig’s head. We made head cheese from the pork, then turned the carrots into a smoky, nutty sauce based on the Spanish staple, which is traditionally made with roasted tomatoes and pine nuts. I’ve been using my carrot romesco in various dishes ever since. It goes especially well with fish (the classic pairing for romesco), chicken, and green vegetables, and you’ll also find it in this book as an accompaniment for Crispy Potatoes and Sunchokes. Here, it’s paired with Japanese eggplant, which picks up a smoky flavor from the broiler. But if you have a charcoal grill, do what we do at my restaurant and cook the eggplant in smoldering embers to get an extra-smoky flavor.

Carrot-Hazelnut Romesco

Makes about 3 cups

• 4 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch slices
• 1 cup carrot juice
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, skins removed
• ¼ cup toasted almonds
• 1 garlic clove, mashed into a paste
• 1½ teaspoons chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons almond oil (if you can’t find almond oil, use hazelnut oil)

In a small saucepan, combine the carrots, carrot juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and continue simmering the liquid until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and return the carrots to the pan.

Place the hazelnuts and almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. To the food processor, add the carrots and their reduced liquid, the garlic, chipotle powder, paprika, salt, vinegar, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon sugar. Turn the machine on and slowly stream in the ¼ cup olive oil and the almond oil; the mixture should form a chunky puree. Scrape into the bowl with the nuts and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. The romesco can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Pickled Red Onions

Makes about 2 cups

• 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1½ teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
• 1 dried red chile
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1¾ cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Place the onion in a sterilized pint-size jar.

In a small skillet, toast the cumin, coriander, fennel, and mustard seeds over low heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Let cool. Add to the jar along with the chile and bay leaf.

In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the red onions and let cool to room temperature. Let sit for at least 1 hour before using, or seal the jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Smoky Japanese Eggplant

• 4 Japanese eggplants

Preheat the broiler (use the high setting if you have the option). Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and broil, turning once or twice, until charred all over and just tender when pierced with a knife, but holding their shape, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the eggplants to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, peel them with a paring knife. Cut the eggplants crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

For Serving

• ½ cup Carrot-Hazelnut Romesco
• Smoky Japanese Eggplant
• ¼ cup diced Pickled Red Onions
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon wedge
• Flaky sea salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion greens
• Warm mini pitas or quartered pitas

Spread the romesco in the bottom of a serving plate. Top with the eggplant pieces, cut-side down. Sprinkle with the pickled onions. Drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle the salt and herbs over the top. Serve with pitas.

The Takeaway

Cooking carrots in their own juice might seem like overkill, but it really intensifies their flavor. This technique was popularized in the nouvelle cuisine era in France and by Charlie Trotter and Jean-Georges Vongerichten here in America. I apply it to all kinds of vegetables, including beets, parsnips, and fennel, and you can try it with poached fruit as well.