Weeknight Sabich, Deconstructed

"Reading the news and it sure looks bad." Cooking ranks low on the list of priorities right now, and I'm struggling to motivate myself to make much of anything. 

Key to taking care of myself is remembering to feed myself. Keep it simple if it helps. I'm not going to tell you cooking will make swallowing any of what our president says or does easier, but it can go a long way towards keeping your head screwed on straight while you go down the resistance checklist. Call your senators and representatives. Raise money or donate to the ACLU, RAICES Texas or Planned Parenthood. Remind yourself of times in history people went through hell and fought their way through it.  

Given the times we're in, I find it healing to double down on the cultures that make life on earth more tolerable. I am cheered to go back to my small hometown and see small markers of change on the menu. It's just as American nowadays to put harissa or kimchi as ketchup on a hamburger, another item synonymous with the red, white and blue that claims its provenance from somewhere else. What constitutes being an American is just as varied and broad as eating like one. It's what makes food here so interesting. Nothing seems more American to me than the after-hours dollar-slice of pizza or tearing into a breakfast burrito with extra salsa rojo in a hot parking lot because nobody ever waits to get home before digging into a breakfast burrito. No one. None of these things were "born" here, per se, but where else but here could they exist so splendidly side by side?  

My favorite personal snack from abroad is Sabich from Israel. Fried eggplant and hard boiled egg are tucked into warm pita with hummus, cucumber, tomato and sour mango pickle. Fiery zhoug, the green hot sauce of your dreams, is served generously on the side. I make my own zhoug throughout the summer and it's heavenly stuff, but on weeknights you make do with what's around. Purists: you can turn away now. Here I've made a quick, zingy fix with harissa paste and sherry vinegar. It's not tradish, but it'll do the trick if you're pressed for time. Roasting the eggplant instead of frying it in a skillet also cuts down on cooking time and clean up. I use store bought hummus and some chopped preserved lemon in place of mango pickle.  Either would work here! Don't have either? Chopped pickle would be amazing too. Or pickled jalapeños. All great options. I like throwing all the lettuce straight onto the plate with toasted pita alongside, but honestly, in the summer I sometimes do without the pita altogether. It's all about getting the deep silky eggplant to play against the richness of the egg yolks and fresh salad. No, it's not "Sabich" as we might all know it, but it's delicious all on its own, a detour from Israel via Morocco. Deconstructing traditions and making them our own? That's the most patriotic thing I can imagine. 

Weeknight Sabich, Deconstructed

INGREDIENTS:

1 Large Eggplant, cut into 1 inch dice
1 Tbs. Za'Atar1/2 Teaspoon
4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme

4 Large Eggs

For The Dressing:
3 Tbs Harissa Paste
1 Garlic Clove, finely minced
2 teaspoons Sherry Vinegar
 

1 Head Gem or Butter Lettuce, leaves separated and washed
1 1/2 Cups Hummus
2 Persian Cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 Cup and 2 Tbs. Olive Oil, Divided
1/2 Perseved Lemon, Finely Chopped
Fresh Parsley, Mint, and/or Basil

4 Rounds of Pita Bread (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
2. On a sheet pan, scatter the diced eggplant with za'atar, fresh thyme and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Yes, this is a lot of olive oil, but the eggplant will soak it all right up! To this, add 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper and mix with your hands. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning eggplant over once with a spatula, until the eggplant is nice and golden and all sides. Allow to cool slightly. 
3. Fill a small, heatproof bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a gentle boil and submerge the eggs. Cook for 6 minutes and using a slotted spoon transfer eggs to the bowl of ice water to cool completely. Peel and slice in half, then set aside. The yolk should be perfectly jammy and bright yellow.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the Harissa Paste, Garlic Clove and Sherry Vinegar and remaining 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil. Set aside.
5. Arrange your salad options however you like. If I'm making this for a crowd, I like to let people put together their own plates so I set the eggplant, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes on one platter. I decant the hummus into a bowl, but seriously, don't sweat that detail! Yes, it will taste the same from the tub it came in and no one will care if you put it in a bowl or not). Put the sliced egg on the platter, too, and sprinkle the preserved lemon on top of them. So good.
6. Serve the fixin's with the Harissa Sauce and toasted pita, if using.

Serves 4.