prismik

prismik

Grandma’s Eggplant Salad

My grandmother’s name for this salad/spread was “Prismik.” I tried to research it, thinking that surely other immigrants from the same little corner of Eastern Europe must have also brought this recipe with them.

The only thing I could find on the internet relating to this word has to do with, I think, a type of jewelry worn by characters in an online role playing game. Grandma definitely did not know anything about that…

Although Grandma didn't leave us with a written copy of this recipe, between what my mother and what my aunt remembered, I was able to cobble this together. I’m happy to report that we nailed it—it tastes just like Grandma's!

Much of its beauty rests in its simplicity. It was one of several vegetable dishes, like her wonderful Black Radish Salad, that she would whip up quickly whenever she had a yen for it, and eat it as a snack. Have it on toast or crackers with a cup of tea or an afternoon cocktail, or serve it as a first course at dinner. It’s especially nice when spread on chunks of freshly baked challah.

Ingredients:

• 1 large globe eggplant

• 4 tablespoons sunflower oil (Grandma probably used whatever vegetable oil was on sale, but we now know how unhealthy those are…)

• ½ green peeper, coarsely chopped

• ½ medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

• two cloves garlic, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press—divided use

• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or more to taste)

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste.

Method:    

• The best way to prepare the eggplant is to place it directly over the hot coals on a grill, turning it often until it collapses and the skin is blackened and turning to ash in places. This will give it a lovely smoky flavor. You can achieve the same effect with a gas stove, by laying the eggplant on the burner. (Do line the stove top with foil for easy clean-up!)

• If neither of those options is available, you can roast it in the oven, directly on the rack, at 400° for about 40 minutes, until it has collapsed. It will be almost as good.

• When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, split it open lengthwise with the point of a sharp knife and, using a spoon, scrape the flesh from the skin onto a (preferably) wooden board. (Grandma had a big wooden chopping bowl that she used. If you’ve got one, use it!) It’s ok if a little bit of charred skin gets mixed in.

• Finely chop the eggplant, and then, using a heavy wooden spoon, schmush (spell-check says this isn’t a word, but they’re wrong) it against the board or bowl so that it's more mashed than chopped, but not puréed. You want the texture to remain somewhat coarse.

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Sauté the onion, the pepper, and 1 clove of the garlic for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and beginning to color.

• Then, fold the sautéed vegetables and the remaining clove of raw, pressed garlic, into the eggplant.

• Pour in the rest of the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, mashing it in well with the wooden spoon after every addition. It should be pleasantly oily.

• Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.

• The Prismik is at its best at room temperature, so remove it from the fridge an hour or so before  you want to serve it. It will keep in the fridge for several days.