Imam Bayildi

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Add onions, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt into a bowl together. Massage onions with your hands to work in the lemon juice and salt, and let sit as you continue on with the recipe.

Take eggplant and cut very carefully along the top of eggplant by the leaves. There is a small reed in the eggplant in the heart of the leafy part, which is most traditionally kept on in this dish. Cut around the reed and pull off the top of eggplant and leafy part (optional, for presentation).

Peel the eggplant in zebra stripes, alternating one part peeled and one part with skin left on. Cut lengthwise in half and begin to spoon out inner part of eggplant. Create a cavity that will become the “canoe” for your filling, being sure to leave the “walls” of eggplant relatively thick.

Heat a skillet on high heat and add a generous spoonful of olive oil. Once olive oil is nice and hot, fry eggplant canoe on all sides until it slightly browns. This should take roughly 5–7 minutes.

Once eggplant canoes are slightly browned, take out of skillet and let sit on a plate with a paper towel in between (to soak up oil).

In the bowl with the onions and lemon juice, add garlic, olive oil (another 2 healthy spoonfuls), tomatoes, and all herbs and spices. Stir very well together.

Using the same skillet that eggplant canoes were fried in, lightly cook filling over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, add tomato paste and continue to cook for 5–8 minutes. Taste to make sure flavors meld together.

Add the water and remaining olive oil to baking dish as well as any “remnants” like parsley stalks or tomato seeds. These bring fantastic flavors to the braising liquid.

Place eggplant canoes in baking dish. Overfill canoes with filling, then cover baking dish lightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes before uncovering. Once uncovered, let the imam bayildi bake for another 30 minutes (60 minutes total).

Remove from oven and let cool. The imam bayildi should be served at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from Peter Sommer.