Chef Stefan Marr’s Smoked Eggplant Mirza
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner
Featuring Eggplants from
At this year’s Slice Shop, Stefan’s pizza started here: a smoky, silky smoked eggplant sauce that works as a pizza base but is just as good as a dip for toasted pita. It comes together with pantry staples and one key technique, charring the eggplant until it’s completely black, which is where all the flavor lives.
For this year’s Slice Shop, we partnered with Farm to Peopleand some of their farm partners (including Halal Pastures, Hurd Orchards, and Suzuki Farm) to bring our chefs incredible produce from farms across the East Coast.
Farm to People is an online farmers market and delivery service that builds direct relationships with farmers and makers, making it easy for people to get food from local farms delivered right to their door. The three farms mentioned above are just a few of the more than 150 farm partners Farm to People works with in the region, and they’re the same farms you can order from yourself.
INGREDIENTS
2 large Italian eggplants
1 can Italian tomatoes (800g)
3–4 garlic cloves, minced or shaved
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp salt
Olive oil
Water or tomato sauce, as needed
Lemon juice or sugar (optional)
STEPS
Char the eggplant directly on a stovetop burner or grill until all sides are black. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Once cooled, remove the peel. If the flesh is still firm, chop or pull into large chunks.
Cook off the garlic in a small pot with a little olive oil. Add the tomatoes, eggplant, and seasoning. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
For pizza sauce: add more water or tomato sauce before blending to loosen. For a dip: cook to your desired consistency, then finish with optional toppings like feta, mint, or a fried egg.
*Cook’s Note: The spice and salt amounts are a starting point. Taste and adjust to your liking. Eggplant-to-tomato ratio should be closer to 1:1 for pizza sauce. For a dip, go closer to 2:1. Adjust to preference.
