Maybe one day we’ll attempt a pachamanca: dig a hole in our garden, layer it with hot stones and cook food covered under a blanket of cloth and dirt. For now, we’ll stick to good old charcoal grilling and have some Peru-inspired sides and appetizers that use some of Texas’ summer favorites: eggplant, okra and summer squash!.
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced eggplant
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil sea salt to taste
- ½ cup ground almonds
- ½ cup water
- juice of 3 limes
- 1 serrano pepper, seeds removed, chopped
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- small red onion, sliced thin
- salt to taste
- roasted corn
- sliced jalapeño
- fresh herbs
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°. Toss the eggplant with avocado oil and sea salt and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast until soft and well caramelized (this brings out the natural sweetness in eggplant), about 10–15 minutes (depending on your oven). Cool.
Mix almond powder with water to make a runny paste. Put in a blender with cilantro, serrano, lime juice, celery rib, onion and ginger and pulse to purée. Pour into a bowl, taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Mix 3–4 tablespoons into the roasted eggplant to coat.
To plate: Pour enough sauce into a bowl to build a shallow layer. Pile the eggplant in the middle of the bowl and garnish with sliced onion, jalapeño, roasted corn and fresh herbs and serve immediately.
Make ahead: Keep sauce and eggplant/ garnish separate until just before ready to serve.
