Maghmour au Fatouch — Avis de Madeleine (2 juin 2024)

‘Lebanese stew of eggplant with a sauce of tomato, onion, pomegranate molasses, and spices.’

This was so rich and “beefy” I couldn’t believe that there was no meat in this! The tomato stew/gravy was a delightful explosion of deep umami flavour and the eggplant had such a perfect texture it resembled slow-cooked beef that could fool any omnivore. It didn’t have chickpeas like some Maghmour recipes I’ve seen but it did come sprinkled with slivered almonds and cashews. Along with the big chunks of tomato too, eating this was like a solid, comforting hug from a robust aunty.