Truly authentic Lebanese cooking is an experience. With nuanced flavors, unique ingredients and a wide variety of recipes to try, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy. Leila Habib-Kirske continues her mother Dr. Madelain Farah’s work of memorializing these classic Middle Eastern meals in the new edition of the epicurean classic Lebanese Cuisine with an expanded assortment of recipes that bring easy, authentic Lebanese cooking right to your kitchen. Enjoy the recipe below!
Stuffed Eggplant Supreme
Makes 6-8 Servings
Ingredients
1 pound lamb
shoulder, coarsely ground
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup pine nuts
2 medium onions, finely chopped
12 eggplants, 3–5 inches in length
1–3 tablespoons butter
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Sauté the meat with the seasonings and pine nuts.
2. Add the onions and continue sautéing until the onions are soft. Set aside.
3. Peel the eggplants, leaving a short stem. (May be peeled in stripes.)
4. Brown all sides in butter until barely soft. Remove and place on a platter.
5. Make a slit on the side of each eggplant and stuff with 1–2 tablespoons of the filling.
6. Arrange the stuffed eggplants next to each other in a baking dish.
7. Pour the tomato sauce over the eggplants and barely cover with water.
8. Sprinkle with additional salt.
9. Bake 20–25 minutes at 375°F.
10. Remove the eggplants gently with a spatula onto a platter.
Note: Recommend serving with rice.
Leila Habib-Kirske has long been passionate about her Lebanese background and sharing her love of Lebanese cuisine with a broader audience. She grew up in the kitchen of her mother and grandmother from who she learned Lebanese and Moroccan cooking using traditional methods. She currently resides in Seattle, WA. Dr. Madelain Farah wrote the original edition of Lebanese Cuisine in 1972 to memorialize the recipes her mother had passed down and share these unique creations with the world.
