Fried Eggplant with Harissa and Dill by Alison Roman

I made seven Alison Roman recipes last week. All of them, except one, were very good. But for whatever reason, this eggplant dish is the one I can’t stop thinking about! 

Through this project, I’ve grown to really like eggplant, which is saying something considering where I started. I used to shutter at the soggy appearance of cooked eggplant in the cafeteria, and wondered how anyone could want to eat it instead of the always-available pizza and salad bar. I now realize that my college cafeteria, as exemplary for the circumstances as it was, did not treat eggplant with the care and flavors that it is due. 

I started to appreciate eggplant for all its creamy and flavor-soaking qualities when I first made Alison’s Long-Roasted Eggplant with Garlic, Labne, and Tiny Chile Croutons. There especially I learned how well eggplant goes with spice. Which is exactly what this fried eggplant recipe does so nicely. 

The eggplant is sliced into ½-inch rounds and fried in a boat load of olive oil (I probably used 1½ cups when all was said and done). The eggplant gets a nice toasted surface and soaks in all the yummy oil. It took about 20 minutes to fry it, since I could only fit so many rounds in my large skillet. Once the frying is complete, the pan is removed from heat and filled with a spicy sauce made of water, harissa paste, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and vinegar. The sauce immediately bubbles in the pan, inviting the eggplant back into the skillet for tossing. Though 2 tbsp. of harissa and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes are used, the spiciness was quite tolerable and the heat more acidic than dry. The creamy eggplant played well with the tangy spices. Finally, the whole plate is topped with dill and flaky salt. 

I made this dish for dinner on a night when my brother-in-law was coming over. I could see his polite skepticism as soon as I brought out the plate. He reached for only two pieces and began eating the rest of his meal. But after a few bites, I could tell he had changed his mind. He and Jordan both helped to finish off the eggplant, which I count as a real victory. The leftover oily juices also made a lovely dipping spread for sourdough bread. 

70 recipes cooked, 155 to go.

Buttered Salmon with Red Onion and Dill by Alison Roman

True story: this salmon deserves all the hype it’s been getting. 

Instead of the oil poach method, this fish is cooked in the oven, topped with browned butter and some olive oil, slightly frizzled red onions and lemons, and drained capers. It’s plenty briney and tangy, but still rich from the butter. Alison encourages topping the finished salmon with a mountain of dill. The earthy herb presence is not only pretty, but balances the acidic and fatty elements in the dish nicely. Oh, and don’t forget that flaky sea salt! 

thicker cut of salmon

I’ve made this twice now with different cuts of salmon. A thicker cut of salmon takes longer to cook (obviously) and required some basting to keep the whole piece of fish equally tender. A BBQ cut of salmon, much thinner, only took 12 minutes, and the skin became slightly crispy. When I make this again (which I will do, because it’s really good), I’ll choose a thinner cut, and try searing the skin at the end in a cast iron to get an even crispier result. I’m not sure if that will work, but it’d be worth a try. 

This is my third Alison salmon recipe - I have just one more to go. Once I make that fourth and final salmon recipe, I’d like to write up a power ranking of the four recipes based on this criteria: fussiness, fishy texture, and overall deliciousness. Am I missing any criteria? Please let me know! 

thinner, BBQ cut salmon

52 recipes cooked, 173 to go.