Grilled Eggplant with Dukkah and Parsley – Christmas Menu Appetizer

This dish is a creative combination of a few pure flavors that together make up the appetizer on our Christmas menu. The grilled eggplant is finished with honey, dukkah, parsley, and red pepper balls. The result will go down in history as colorful, chic, and super delicious!

Tips for grilling eggplant:

• Don't use too much olive oil, because the eggplants will absorb most of it, and then it will be too greasy. 
• Don't move the eggplant slices once they're in the pan. That way, you'll get a nice grill pattern.
• Check regularly to see if you can turn the eggplants over yet.

*Why are the eggplants brined first?

Eggplants contain quite a lot of water. However, the cells of the eggplant are selectively permeable to water. By sprinkling salt on the eggplant slices, the water is drawn out. This happens because you increase the salt concentration on the outside of the eggplant slices, causing the water to spontaneously move from areas of low salt concentration to areas of high salt concentration until the balance in salt concentration inside and outside the slices is restored. This way, the eggplant slices will have a less spongy texture after frying.

The Recipe

Ingredients: (serves 3 to 4)

• 1 eggplant
• 4 tsp honey
• a few sprigs of parsley
• 4 tsp dukkah
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Preparation: (20 minutes)

1. Slice the eggplant into slices about 0.5 cm thick.
2. Arrange them side by side on a plate and sprinkle a generous amount of salt over them.
3. Let it sit like that for about 10 minutes.*
4. Then rinse the eggplants briefly to remove the salt. Pat them dry thoroughly with a paper towel or a clean towel.
5. Pour a little olive oil into a grill pan (this will give you nice grill marks) and place it over medium-high heat.
6. Grill the eggplant slices on both sides.
7. Arrange them in an overlapping pattern on the plates. About 4 to 5 per person is a good portion for an appetizer.
8. Garnish with a drizzle of honey, the parsley leaves, the dukkah, and the red pepper balls.

Enjoy your meal, and happy holidays!

Recipe Video

Cook along with me live in this video. While we wait for the eggplant, I’ve got a few scenic shots of Bruges for you, and I’ll also share a lovely Christmas message.

Here you'll find the appetizers from the Christmas menu. The main course is coming next week, so stay tuned!

Like this recipe? Then share it with everyone you love. That way, together we can help the world enjoy healthy food!

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