Grilled Eggplant With Feta and Maras Pepper From 'The Big-Flavor Grill'

Updated March 12, 2019

Meat can really hog the spotlight when it comes to grilling. But sometimes, a beautifully grilled vegetable comes along and steals the show. This is what happened here for me, with this eggplant from The Big-Flavor Grill, by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby.

Inch-thick slabs of eggplant are grilled until golden and soft (but not floppy) and, just before they come off, are brushed with puckeringly transformative pomegranate molasses. Salty, creamy feta cheese mixed with olive oil and fresh thyme cool the smoky eggplant, and a dusting of Maras pepper flakes imparts fruity, earthy heat. Of all the leftovers from our day of grilling, this is what I wanted most for dinner the next night.

Why I picked this recipe: I love eggplant, and I could eat feta and pomegranate molasses on pretty much anything without complaint.

What worked: The recipe is so simple: other than olive oil, salt, and pepper, there are just 5 ingredients. They come together in an elegant way.

What didn't: There was too much thyme for my taste; it overwhelmed the other flavors.

Suggested tweaks: Start with 1 tablespoon of the thyme, and add more to your taste. If you can't find the Maras pepper flakes (if there's a Middle Eastern market near you, you might get lucky), substitute the more widely available Aleppo flakes. The peppers are cousins (Maras from Turkey, Aleppo from Syria) and have similar flavor profiles, though the Maras is a bit hotter.

Recipe Details

Grilled Eggplant With Feta and Maras Pepper From 'The Big-Flavor Grill'

Active 20 mins

Total 45 mins

Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup crumbled feta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large or 2 small eggplants, about 2 pounds total, cut lengthwise into planks about 1 inch thick
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses, or 2 tablespoons regular molasses mixed with 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
1 tablespoon Maras pepper flakes

Directions

Build a two-level fire in your grill, which means you put all the coals on one side of the grill and leave the other side free of coals. When the flames have died down, all the coals are covered with gray ash, and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 6 inches above the grill for 4 to 5 seconds), you’re ready to cook.
Prep: While the fire heats up, place feta, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and thyme in a medium bowl and toss gently to combine.
Grill: Rub eggplant planks on both sides with the [1/4 cup of] oil, sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper, then put them on grill directly over the coals and cook until golden brown on the outside and translucent all the way through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. About 30 seconds before eggplant planks come off of the grill, brush them with pomegranate molasses. (Be careful not to overcook these, and try to maintain some rigidity, since eggplant should not be floppy when cooked.)
Top: Remove eggplant planks from grill, put on a platter and sprinkle evenly with feta mixture, then sprinkle it with Maras pepper flakes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
481	Calories
35g	Fat
37g	Carbs
9g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	481
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g	45%
Saturated Fat 10g	48%
Cholesterol 40mg	13%
Sodium 502mg	22%
Total Carbohydrate 37g	14%
Dietary Fiber 6g	23%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 8mg	41%
Calcium 267mg	21%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 484mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.