Lebanese Style Stuffed Eggplant Bethany
Perfect as printed from Gourmet
Smittenkitchen.com
Adjusted by me
6 (5- to 6-inch long) bambino (also called Baby Bell) eggplants (about 6 ounces each)
1/2 cup brown rice or jasmine rice
2 TBSP. olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
3/4 lb ground turkey (optional)
1 teaspoon ground allspice (or cinnamon and crushed cloves)
1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Hollow out each eggplant with a melon-ball cutter or spoon, working from bottom end and leaving about 1/3 inch eggplant flesh along interior walls.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup onion mixture to bowl with pine nuts. Add stock, tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet and simmer, uncovered, while stuffing eggplant.
Add rice, meat, allspice, one teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well with your hands.
Stuff eggplant with meat mixture, being careful not to pack tightly (rice will expand during cooking). Transfer stuffed eggplants to skillet with tomato sauce and simmer, covered, carefully turning once, until rice is cooked through, 50 minutes to one hour (cut one in half to test). [Check in on your dish periodically; I managed to burn my sauce because I wasn't paying attention, although it was still surprisingly tasty.]
If sauce is watery, transfer eggplant to a plate and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes, then adjust seasoning if necessary. Return stuffed eggplant to sauce. Squeeze lemon over dish and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
I only used 2 eggplants and put the rest of the rice mixture in the juices to cook. Then I served the rice and eggplants together.
