Eggplant-Tomato Salad (Salad Zalouk) Alba’s Way

Salad Zalouk - Eggplant Tomato Salad

1 pound small eggplants, cut in small cubes 

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3-4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 large shallot, minced

2-3 large tomatoes, diced
Pinch red pepper flakes

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon Raz el hanout, optional
Zest 1 large lemon

30-35 pitted green olives

25-30 capers in brine, drained
Juice of 1 lemon

Fresh basil

Boil the egg plant in hot salted water, about 30 minutes on medium-low heat. Strain and cool.

In a large skillet, add the oil, garlic, and shallot. Cook on low heat until golden. When ready, raise the heat to high and add the chopped tomatoes.  Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the spices, salt, lemon zest, olives, and capers. Cook about a minute.  Add the eggplant; cook on low heat about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. When ready to serve, add the lemon juice and fresh basil, and fold.  

Easy and extremely flavorful….. Salad Zalouk, is a spicy eggplant dish, usually served as an appetizer or side dish with fish or meat. My version is a fusion of Moroccan and Sicilian.  I use the same spices; however I add the olives and capers so it mirrors the caponata.  I also don’t mash the eggplant as in the traditional recipe; I like mine chunky, with some texture. 

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Moussaka Alba's Way

Moussaka with Purple Potatoes

Moussaka is a baked dish made with alternate layers of spiced ground lamb, potatoes, fried eggplant covered with a thick layer of béchamel sauce that becomes golden and crusty. Moussaka was introduced when the Arabs brought the eggplant to Greece around 1200s during their stay. The Arabs have a similar dish called maghmuma.   Moussaka is one of the most popular dishes of Greek and Turkish cuisine influenced by the Arab footprint that passed through.

To achieve optimal Moussaka, use fresh and good quality eggplants (No bruises, discoloration, softness). Rinse and pat dry each individual slice before cooking.  Brown and season the ground meat well before layering.  Flavor the béchamel sauce with a little nutmeg, salt and pepper.  At the end of the assembly, sprinkle with some freshly grated Pecorino cheese.  

Alba's recipe:

I used small purple potatoes with their skin on, shaved them thinly so I didn't have to cook them. I drizzled a little olive oil on the potatoes, added salt and pepper and placed them at the bottom of the casserole. I sauteed the combination of ground lamb and beef in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little peperoncino. I really browned the meat until all the juices were absorbed. When I made the béchamel sauce, I flavored it with salt, pepper, nutmeg.  Flavoring each step is critical to any dish. I sliced the eggplant thinly, pat it dry, placed them on a baking sheet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and I baked them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes at 400F.  Once all of my ingredients were prepped, I assembled the moussaka with alternating layers.  I sprinkled some Pecorino cheese on top and baked it for 45-60 minutes until golden on top.  I had leftover marinara sauce, which I warmed up and served it on the side with the moussaka. 

When the moussaka is ready, wait a few minutes before serving. It's like a lasagna, it needs to cool a few minutes before serving or you'll have a big mess when cutting the first slice. 

Perhaps my lasagna was not authentic, however it was very tasty and a little healthier than using fried potatoes and eggplant in the dish.  What makes a dish tasty is the care one takes at each step. Without that, it's just a good dish!!

 

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