Lime and Honey Glazed Eggplant

Lime and Honey Glazed Eggplant
with Mint Chutney

Serves 4

Slices of eggplant, preferably the long, purple Japanese variety, are delicious grilled and need only a brushing with oil and honey. Served with an Indian-style chutney made with orange juice, toasted pine nuts, and fresh mint, the combination is flavorful and refreshing.

Mint Chutney

3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup loosely packed mint leaves, cut into fine ribbons
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel, coarse sea salt, or Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 to 6 Japanese eggplants, or 2 medium globe eggplants

To make the mint chutney:

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the orange juice to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium and boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the pine nuts, mint, reduced orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

To grill the eggplant:

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the honey, and lime juice and set aside.

Light a medium-hot fire in the grill.

Slice the eggplants 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick, lengthwise if using Japanese eggplants and crosswise if using globe eggplants. Brush the slices with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil, season with salt, and grill for 1 to 2 minutes, rotating once about 45 degrees to achieve crosshatch grill marks. Flip the slices, brush with the oil and honey mixture, and grill for 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, rotating once. Remove the eggplant slices from the grill and arrange on a platter or 4 individual plates. Brush again with the oil and honey mixture, and top with mint chutney. Season lightly with pepper.

Buy the Book!

from:
Big City Cooking
Recipes for a Fast-Paced World
by Matthew Kenney
and Joan Schwartz
Photographs by William Meppem
Chronicle Books
$24.95 Paperback
208 pp
ISBN: 0811832228
Recipe reprinted by permission..