Baked eggplant with butter, red onion and orange

 Baked eggplant with butter, red onion and orange

Ingredients

2 eggplants

1 red onion

zest of ½ orange

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

parsley leaves to taste for serving

dill leaves to taste for serving

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200 ºC (medium temperature).

Keep the stems on, wash and dry the eggplants. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. With the tip of a small knife, cut the eggplant flesh superficially into diamond shapes — this way the seasonings penetrate the flesh better and the eggplant becomes softer when baked.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle this seasoned olive oil over the eggplant flesh.

In a large nonstick baking dish, place the eggplant halves, flesh side down, side by side. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes — halfway through, turn the eggplants so the flesh side up. Meanwhile, prepare the onion in butter.

Peel and cut the onion into thin half-moons. Transfer to a small saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the butter and the orange zest. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, counting from when the butter has melted — this will soften the onion and lose its heat.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Using a spoon, cover the eggplants with the onion and melted butter. Sprinkle with the herbs and serve immediately.