Baked Tunisian Eggplant and Pepper Egg Muffins

Serving Size: 12

Discover the vibrant flavors of Tunisia with these Baked Eggplant and Pepper Egg Muffins! These egg muffins, inspired by traditional Tunisian recipes, store wonderfully in the fridge, and taste delicious whether hot, cold, or at room temperature. Perfect for breakfast, dinner and ideal for packing up the leftovers for lunch. It can be customized to your spice preference, from mildly spicy to fiery hot. Let's bring a bit of Tunisian excitement to your kitchen with this versatile and flavorful dish! This recipe will require 2 muffin pans.

Recipe by: Martha Rose Shulman - Cooking NYTimes

Cook Times

Active Prep10

Hands-On Cook10

Hands-Off Cook50

Passive0

Total Time1 10

Recipe Serving Size12

Cooking Tools Required

Baking sheet, Cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons, Mixing bowls, Sharp Knives, Standard muffin pan

Ingredients

1¼ pound eggplant 1 large or 2 to 4 small
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 each medium yellow onion finely chopped
1 each red bell pepper finely diced
4 clove garlic minced
8 each egg
⅓ cup Italian parsley minced
2 ounce Gruyere cheese grated or cut in small cubes ½ cup, tightly packed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon harissa dissolved in 1 tablespoon water more to taste; optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and rub it with olive oil. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and score down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin. Place the eggplant on the foil-covered baking sheet, cut side down. Place in the oven, and bake 20 minutes or until the skin has begun to shrivel and the eggplant has softened. Remove from the oven and transfer to a colander, cut side down. Allow to cool and drain for 10 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Cut the eggplant into small dice. Don’t worry if the eggplant is so soft that it falls apart when you cut it up. If the charred edges on the cut side taste bitter, cut them away and discard them.
While the eggplant is in the oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet, and add the onion and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, stir in the garlic and eggplant and cook for one more minute, stirring. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the parsley, cheese, salt (about ½ teaspoon), pepper, cinnamon and cayenne. For a spicier dish, whisk in about a teaspoon of harissa or more, to taste. Stir in the eggplant mixture.
Using a paper towel spread remaining oil in muffin pan cups. Pour mixture evenly into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned on the top and set.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes or longer before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Reheating Instructions

Heat in microwave on medium power about 30 seconds, more or less until warm.

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