Spicy Eggplant "Jam"

Eggplant "jam" is a savory topping for toast, bagels, crackers, or for eating out of a jar with a spoon.  I put "jam" on quotes because a true jam is a fruit reduction mixed with pectin and sugar. However, foodies and such are now all about the savory "jams" like onion "jam," bacon "jam" and so on... So why not hop on the bandwagon?

This dish is actually a north African dish mostly found in Morocco and Algeria.  Some people roast the eggplant first and puree it. Some fry it first to get that rich olive oil flavor. I prefer to leave mine diced in chunky pieces to differentiate it from a baba ghanoush or eggplant dip.

To make a small jar, I start with one eggplant, peeled and diced small.  I put the eggplant in a colander and salt it, letting it sit and sweat for about 30 minutes.  With a paper towel, I squeeze the eggplant and try to get out the moisture, which is where the eggplant's bitterness is stored.

Over medium heat, I sauté the eggplant in enough olive oil to keep it from sticking to the pan. Make sure the heat is not too high, so the eggplant doesn't crisp up.  You want to cook it until the eggplant is translucent. About 20-30 minutes.

Add in a little water to make sure the eggplant isn't sticking, and your spices. I put in about 1/4 tsp of baharat spice (a mix of cumin, black pepper, paprika, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and red pepper).  If you don't have this mix ready to go, pick your favorite warm, earthy spices from this family. In addition, I added extra cumin because I love it, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Eggplant really absorbs heat well, so a little hot pepper goes a long way.

Cook the eggplant on low heat an additional 20 minutes, letting the spices absorb. Add water if necessary.

Finally, squeeze 1/2 lemon into the pan and cook one more minute to get it nicely incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Let the "jam" cool and refrigerate it. Serve garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. Enjoy!