Morocco’s most classic cooked salad, zaâlouk is surely its most popular. This dish can be
served cold, warm, or at room temperature. For a smoky flavor, stir in some chopped,
flame-roasted sweet green Italian or bell peppers. (See Flame-Grilled Green Pepper
and Fresh Tomato Salad, page 107, for directions on preparing the peppers.)
SPICY EGGPLANT,
TOMATO, AND
GARLIC SALAD
zaâlouk
SERVES 6
3 medium eggplants (about 2 lb/910 g)
6 unpeeled garlic cloves
1⁄2 cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded,
and chopped, juices reserved
1⁄4 tsp sweet paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heaped 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
Trim each eggplant. Using a vegetable peeler or
knife, remove a strip of skin, then leave a band of
skin in place, and then remove another strip of
skin, and so on. Quarter the eggplant lengthwise
and then cut into 1- to 1B⁄c-in/2.5- to 4-cm pieces.
Put the eggplant and garlic in a steamer
basket over at least 2 in/5 cm of water in a
saucepan. Cover the eggplant snugly with foil
and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Steam the eggplant until soft, about 25 minutes.
Remove the garlic and let cool. Squeeze the
garlic from the peels; discard the peels.
In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive
oil over medium heat and add the tomatoes,
garlic, paprika, and cayenne. Season with salt
and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the
tomatoes are a deeper red and pulpy, about
10 minutes. Stir in the eggplant. Cover and
cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing
down the ingredients frequently, until pasty,
about 20 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Transfer to a serving