Recipe
Make Kepos Street Kitchen's sensational sabich salad
A vibrant twist on the classic sabich sandwich, this hearty salad layers fried eggplant, potatoes, eggs and fresh herbs topped with a creamy tahini dressing.
By Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley
I grew up eating an amazing ‘sandwich’ that consisted of a pita pocket filled with eggplant, potato and eggs. This is a salad version of that delicious dish. It may seem like we’re using a lot of oil here to fry an eggplant to use in one dish, but you can definitely reuse the frying oil.
Ingredients to make Kepos Street Kitchen's sensational sabich salad recipe
1 large eggplant (aubergine), peeled and cut into 3 cm (1 1⁄4 in) cubes
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable or rice bran oil, for deep-frying
300 g (10 1⁄2 oz) cherry tomatoes, preferably in a mix of colours, cut in half
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
50 ml (1 3⁄4 fl oz) olive oil, plus extra fordrizzling
200 g (7 oz) kipfler potatoes, boiled and cutinto big chunks
3 soft-boiled eggs (see page 197), halved
6 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
4 pickled cucumbers, thinly sliced
TAHINI GARLIC DRESSING
100 g (3 1⁄2 oz) tahini
2 garlic cloves, peeled
juice of 1⁄2 lemon
100 ml (3 1⁄2 fl oz) water
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Ingredients to make Kepos Street Kitchen's sensational sabich salad recipe
Place the eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 45 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry. In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 170°C (340°F). To test if the oil is hot enough, drop in a cube of bread; if it turns golden brown in 20 seconds, you are good to start cooking.
Working in batches, so the oil stays hot, fry the eggplant for about 2–3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Set aside to drain on paper towel. Toss the cherry tomatoes in a mixing bowl with the parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine all the tahini dressing ingredients in a blender, until smooth, then set aside.
To assemble the salad, arrange the eggplant and potatoes on a large platter. Top with the tomato mixture, then the eggs, jalapeno and pickled cucumbers. Drizzle with the dressing and extra virgin olive oil and serve straight away or at room temperature. Serves 4.
Citro food tip
To lighten the dish, you can roast the eggplant cubes instead of deep-frying for a smokier flavour and less oil. Add a sprinkle of dukkah or toasted pine nuts on top for extra crunch and Middle Eastern flair
This is an edited extract from Salata by Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley, photography by Alan Benson. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.
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