Mini Eggplants Stuffed with Lamb, Pine nuts and Currants

I made this tasty dish a few times since I’ve posted it, and again, a couple of days ago. It was as delicious as always, and it made me think it would be a good idea to re-post the recipe, as it was posted in the early days of the blog, and some of you probably haven’t seen it. See you next week with a new recipe. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stuffed vegetables are the tasty proof for the phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Both the stuffing and the vegetables impart their flavors on each other and create a new wonderful flavor, while one can still taste each part separately.

However, carefully emptying the vegetables from their flesh, especially small ones, is time consuming and requires special tools. So, no wonder some ancient cook came up with the idea of cutting the vegetables in half, to create a “boat” for filling easily and in half the time.
Yet, not all vegetables are created equal. Unlike other vegetables, eggplants taste better when partially cooked before stuffing. While this prolongs the prep time, it still didn’t deter me from buying these beautiful mini eggplants. As an avid fan of eggplants, I knew the result would be worth the trouble. To make the process even more worthwhile, I’ve used the cooked eggplant flesh as part of the stuffing, which made for  an even tastier dish.
Baking the dish just before serving will give you the best results, but no need to worry about last minute logistics. The good news is that the dish can be prepared a few hours in advance and kept, covered, in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature about half an hour before baking and you’re all set to enjoy this tasty dish.

Notes:
* Whenever ground meat is required in a dish, I highly recommend buying a piece of meat and grinding, or chopping it, at home. This is the best way to ensure the quality of the meat and therefore the flavor of your dish.
* I find that lamb pairs best with the eggplants, but beef can be used instead.
* Sumac is a reddish spice powder, which is used frequently in the Middle East. It can be found in specialty stores or online. As it adds a subtle acidity to the meat, if you can’t find it, substitute with 1 tsp of lemon juice.

Makes: 10 first course/4-6 main course
Prep time: 40 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
5 mini eggplants
2 Tbs light olive oil
For the meat:
1 lbs (450 grams) lamb shoulder, with a bit of fat, cut in large cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 cup parsley, packed
1 Tbs sumac (see notes)
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch Cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup currants
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
For baking:
2 cups homemade or good quality prepared tomato sauce

1. Cut off most of the eggplants stems, then cut them in half, lengthwise. Using a small serrated knife, carefully make deep slits in the flesh side of each eggplant half. Make sure not to cut all the way through the skin.

2. Heat the 2 Tbs light olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplants in one layer, cut side down. Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry gently for about 15 minutes. The color of the skin will gradually change: this is the sign that the eggplants are cooking inside. Turn the eggplants and fry gently on the skin side for about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, lightly toast the pine nuts in a toaster oven and cool to room temperature. Chop the onion and parsley coarsely  in a food processor, and transfer into a bowl . Chop the meat finely and add to the bowl. Add the sumac, allspice, black pepper, Cayenne, salt and 1 Tbs olive oil, and mix well.

4. Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, carefully remove the flesh, trying to get rid of as much seeds as you can. Chop the flesh coarsely and add to the meat., along with the toasted pine nuts and currants, and mix well.

5. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Pour the tomato sauce into a baking pan, large enough to place the eggplants in one layer.
6. Take about two tablespoons of the meat mixture and shape it into an oblong patty. Fill one eggplant shell and press gently. Place over the tomato sauce in the baking pan. Repeat with the rest of the eggplants.

7. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the meat is cooked through. Serve warm.