Ceviche de Berenjena

Blackened Eggplant Ceviche with Vegetarian Tiger’s Milk

If I told my friends in Peru that I served a vegetarian (actually, vegan) ceviche at my restaurants in Los Angeles, they would laugh. There isn’t such a thing as ceviche without fish, but life is a little different in California. And I have to say, this is one of my favorite dishes. Eggplant gets insanely smoky when you char it until the skin is black as the night and the flesh is so tender it almost melts. The texture is similar to raw fish, and eggplant happens to pair really well with the tamari, lime juice, and other bold ingredients in the vegetarian leche de tigre. I love the flavor contrast with the spicy rocoto peppers and tangy lime juice in the vegetarian leche de tigre, and the “pop” of crispy quinoa on top for a different texture. You could serve the “ceviche” as an appetizer or a side dish, or for a dinner party—unlike fish ceviches, you can plate this a little in advance without worrying that it will spoil.

• 2 medium Japanese or Chinese eggplants or 1 American (globe) eggplant (1 pound), grilled or roasted and charred (see page 186)
• About 1 cup Vegetarian Leche de Tigre (page 78), well chilled
• Coarsely ground sea salt
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
• Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• A few teaspoons crispy quinoa (see sidebar, page 201; optional)
• Grilled or toasted crusty sliced bread or crostini, for serving

1 If using Japanese or Chinese eggplant, cut the eggplant into 3 meaty sections so you have several large chunks. Chop larger globe eggplants into generous 1½-inch cubes.

2 Spoon a generous ¼ cup of the leche de tigre into four wide, shallow serving bowls. Arrange the eggplant slices in the center of each bowl or pile up the cubed eggplant in a pyramid shape. Taste and season with a little salt if needed. Scatter the scallions over the eggplant, drizzle each serving generously with the olive oil, and sprinkle the crispy quinoa on top (if using). Serve the bread alongside the eggplant to sop up the extra leche de tigre sauce.