Grilled Eggplant with Sunflower Seed Romesco Sauce
Fasting Recipes Grilling Recipes Vegetable Dishes
A must-try version of the Spanish Romesco sauce. You have to try it at your next barbecue. Because it goes well with meat, but also with vegetables.
Ingredients
Grilled Eggplant
2 eggplants
salt
oil
Romesco Sauce with Sunflower Seeds
50g sunflower seeds (raw)
2 garlic cloves
25g white bread (just the crumb, if the crust is thick and hard)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 roasted kapia pepper
1 sprig of dill
salt
Servings: 4
How to prepare grilled eggplant with sunflower seed romesco sauce
- For the sauce, toast the sunflower seeds in a smaller pan. Stir constantly and toast them only until you see that some of them are slightly browned and you hear them popping. Do not over-toast them, it takes about 3-4 minutes in total.
- Remove the seeds from the pan and instead add 1 tablespoon of oil and the bread torn into pieces. Fry the pieces, stirring, until nicely browned on all sides.
- Put the seeds in a mini food processor (or in the container of an immersion blender) and blend until pulverized.
- Add over the seeds the toasted bread, roasted pepper, dill, crushed garlic, lemon juice and the rest of the oil (another 3 tablespoons). Blend until it becomes like a thick paste.
- Add salt to taste and pour in 50ml cold water. Blend again until you have a smooth cream. Add more water gradually if it seems too thick, the cream should be fluffy. Taste for salt and lemon juice and add if needed.
- Cut the eggplants into not too thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and then generously brush both sides with oil.
- Heat a grill pan for 5 minutes over high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and grill the eggplants, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and brush again with oil, at least on one side.
- Serve the warm eggplants with Romesco sauce. The sauce is also great with other grilled or baked vegetables or alongside grilled chicken/fish.
