We love the dishes that come off Cooks & Soldiers’ wood-fired grill. The berenjenas is a favorite and has converted many of our friends who thought they didn’t like eggplant. I wonder if we could make this at home.
— Eric Collins, Roswell
When John Castellucci, culinary director for Cooks & Soldiers, provided this recipe for berenjenas, which means eggplants in Spanish, he wrote, “The berenjenas is a dish that highlights the asador (wood-fired grill) with our ability to char the eggplant at a high temperature, while preserving the texture and not letting it become mushy. The acid from the yogurt and the slight kick from the salsa verde, in combination with the sweetness of the caramelized honey, create a really nice and balanced vegetable dish that is great for all seasons.”
Because most kitchens are not equipped with a wood-fired grill, Castellucci provided instructions for preparing the eggplant on a gas stovetop or outdoor grill. He writes that it’s important to work quickly over very high heat to prevent the eggplant from overcooking and becoming mushy. Charring the eggplant in its peel gives the vegetable a smoky flavor that is a large part of the appeal of this dish.
Cooks & Soldiers Berenjenas
- 1 pound Asian eggplants (about 2 medium eggplants), stem end removed
- Tahini Yogurt (see recipe)
- 1/4 cup Caramelized Honey (see recipe)
- 1/2 cup Zhoug (see recipe)
- 1/2 cup Crispy Chickpeas (see recipe)
- Char the eggplants. On a gas stove, heat a stove burner to high. Place eggplants directly on burner. On an outdoor grill, heat grill as hot as possible and arrange eggplants on grill. In either case, using tongs, rotate eggplants until all sides are evenly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Peel eggplants and lay in skillet, searing on one side, about 1 minute. Move eggplants to cutting board and cut each diagonally into 3 or 4 pieces.
- Divide Tahini Yogurt between 4 serving plates and spread in a circle. Top with eggplant, divided between plates. Drizzle eggplant pieces with honey, then top with Zhoug and Crispy Chickpeas. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 561 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 13 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams total sugars, 11 grams fiber, 40 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), 3 milligrams cholesterol, 703 milligrams sodium.
Zhoug (Salsa Verde)
Zhoug is a spicy, herbal sauce bright with the flavors of cilantro, mint and oregano. After you serve your berenjenas, use the remaining zhoug as a condiment for grilled meats or vegetables.
- 3 serrano chile peppers, stems and seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 cups mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 cups fresh oregano leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Espelette pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup olive/canola oil blend
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade, combine peppers, garlic and lemon juice and pulse until roughly chopped, about 5 pulses.
- Add cilantro, mint and oregano and pulse until herbs are roughly chopped, about 5 pulses.
- Add salt, Espelette pepper and cardamom and pulse 3 times.
- Add blended oil and olive oil while pulsing the mixture. Texture should remain slightly chunky.
- Transfer zhoug to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week before using.
Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Per tablespoon: 160 calories (percent of calories from fat, 89), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 16 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 88 milligrams sodium.
Caramelized Honey
Caramelizing honey adds complexity to its flavor and gives it a slightly bitter edge. Any extra honey would pair nicely with roasted vegetables like brussels sprouts.
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- Put honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling until honey smells caramelized, about 5 minutes, watching carefully and removing from heat before honey burns.
- Remove from heat and stir in orange juice.
- Cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Makes 3/4 cup.
Per tablespoon: 70 calories (percent of calories from fat, 0), trace protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams total sugars, trace fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1 milligram sodium.
Tahini Yogurt
Roasted garlic is an ingredient used in many dishes at Cooks & Soldiers. They prepare it by cutting heads of garlic in half through the middle, then placing the halves on squares of aluminum foil, drizzling the garlic with extra-virgin olive oil, adding a pinch of salt and tightly wrapping the garlic in the foil. They roast the garlic at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until softened, then cool slightly and squeeze the roasted garlic from the individual cloves. Roasted garlic can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated until ready to use.
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon roasted garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade, combine yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, pepper and salt. Process 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and process again. Repeat until mixture is perfectly smooth.
- Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Per 1/4 cup: 67 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 6 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 3 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 134 milligrams sodium.
Crispy Chickpeas
Any remaining chickpeas make a great snack or garnish for a salad.
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Drain chickpeas, rinse and arrange on a kitchen towel or paper towels. Pat very dry.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Have a paper towel-lined bowl next to the cooktop.
- Carefully add chickpeas to hot oil and fry until crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried chickpeas to prepared bowl.
- Toss chickpeas in bowl to remove excess oil, remove paper towels and add sumac, salt and lemon juice while chickpeas are still hot. Allow to cool. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Per tablespoon: 38 calories (percent of calories from fat, 47), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 178 milligrams sodium.
From the menu of ... Cooks & Soldiers, 691 14th St. NW, Atlanta. 404-996-2623, cooksandsoldiers.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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