Aaaaahhh, Mediterranean comfort food! Think of this as a heady, warmly spiced alternative to your mom’s stuffed bell pepper. The baked eggplant flesh becomes a tender bed for the luscious meat and rice filling, and the whole is so succulent and moist that no sauce is needed. Some chilled sliced cucumber and onion with olive oil and vinegar would be a good starter or side dish.
Cooks' Note
After you’ve made this recipe once, you may want to embellish the filling a bit with some additional ingredients, such as toasted pine nuts, artichoke hearts, or a handful of lightly soaked currants. Or you may want to vary the herbs with oregano, cilantro, or mint. I’ve also added some small cubes of feta cheese.
