Recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 475ºF.

Step 2: Place the eggplant rounds in a large bowl with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well and spread out on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and completely soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Step 3: Place the black garlic cloves in the bowl of a small food processor with scant 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp of the oil, 2 tbsp of the yogurt, and the lemon juice. Blitz for 1 minute to form a rough paste, and then transfer to a bowl. Stir in the remaining yogurt and keep in the fridge until needed.

Step 4: Heat the remaining scant 1/2 cup oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and chili slices, turn down the heat to medium, and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the garlic is golden brown and the chili is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic and chili to a paper towel-lined plate.

Step 5: Arrange the eggplant slices, overlapping, on a platter. Take a large slotted spoon, spoon out some yogurt sauce, and, holding it over the eggplant, bash the handle onto the palm of your free hand to seriously shake the spoon and cause the sauce to escape through the holes and onto the eggplant. Sprinkle the chili and garlic over the top and finish with the herbs.

Reprinted with permission from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty More (2014 Appetite by Random House).