Warm Eggplant, Tomato, and Cheese Salad

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a warm salad with eggplant, tomatoes, and cheese? Start by making the sweet-and-sour dressing.

2. Step 2:

   

   In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, and ground black pepper. Whisk with a fork or whisk until the sugar has fully dissolved.

3. Step 3:

   

   Gather the ingredients for the salad. Use a large eggplant and firm but ripe tomatoes. You can swap the cream cheese for a soft melting cheese, Italian mozzarella, Greek feta, or a brined white cheese.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash and dry the eggplant, then cut it into half-moons or quarter-moons depending on how thick it is.

5. Step 5:

   

   Put the eggplant in a bowl, salt it, cover with cold water, and let it sit for 20 minutes to draw out any bitterness. Drain, transfer to a sieve, and pat dry.

6. Step 6:

   

   Wash and dry the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. You can use regular tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.

7. Step 7:

   

   Wash, dry, and finely chop the herbs. Besides parsley, use any you like — dill, cilantro, or basil all work.

8. Step 8:

   

   Peel the garlic and finely mince it with a knife or press it through a garlic press.

9. Step 9:

   

   Dredge the eggplant thoroughly in starch, coating every piece on all sides. You can use flour instead of starch.

10. Step 10:

    

    Heat the oil in a deep skillet or saucepan. Working in small batches, add the eggplant to the hot oil and fry over high heat until golden. Stir now and then so the pieces don't clump together and brown evenly.

11. Step 11:

    

    Lift the crispy eggplant out with a slotted spoon, letting the excess oil drip back into the pan, and set it on a plate. Fry the remaining batches the same way. It's important to fry the eggplant last, once everything else is chopped and the dressing is made — the salad is best served warm, while the eggplant is still hot and crisp. That's what makes it so good and unusual.

12. Step 12:

    

    In a bowl, combine the still-warm eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and chopped herbs. Toss gently.

13. Step 13:

    

    Transfer the salad to a platter and dot spoonfuls of the cream cheese over the top. Drizzle with the dressing and serve while the eggplant is still warm. You can serve it cold, but after about 15 minutes the eggplant starts to lose its crunch and turn soggy, so I recommend serving it right away. Enjoy!