High-Heat Baharat Chicken & Baladi Eggplant: A Friday Night Celebration
Friday nights in Tel Aviv always smelled like toasted spices and anticipation. This High-Heat Baharat Chicken and Baladi Eggplant with Pine Nut Crunch is my love letter to those childhood dinners, but with a London-kitchen twist. Growing up, my mother would roast eggplants until they collapsed into sweet velvet, serving them alongside chicken seasoned heavily with warm baharat. I wanted to recreate that feeling of a celebratory centerpiece, but with the volume turned all the way up. What makes this dish truly special is the aggressive contrast. We blast the chicken and thick wedges of Baladi eggplant at a roaring heat. The result? Shatteringly crisp chicken skin yielding to juicy meat, paired with eggplant that practically melts on your tongue. Then comes the crowning glory: a vivid emerald tahini blanket, heavily showered with toasted pine nuts, briny capers, and sweet plump golden raisins. Texture is everything! To make it your own, play with the toppings. Swap the golden raisins for tart barberries, or trade the capers for diced preserved lemon. And remember my golden rule: when you think you have added enough fresh herbs to that emerald tahini, add another handful. Generosity is the secret ingredient!
Featured Recipe
High-Heat Baharat Chicken & Baladi Eggplant with Pine Nut Crunch
Friday nights demand a dish that feels like a celebration. We are blasting thick wedges of Baladi eggplant and chicken thighs at roaring heat until the skin shatters and the eggplant melts into velvet. Blanketed in a vivid emerald tahini and showered with toasted pine nuts, capers, and golden raisins, this is a vibrant centerpiece that brings the entire Mediterranean directly to your table.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 4 thighs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs(About 2 lbs total)
- 2 large Baladi eggplants(Cut into thick 2-inch wedges; substitute globe if needed)
- 2 tbsp Baharat spice blend
- 1/2 cup olive oil(Divided into 3 tbsp and 5 tbsp portions)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup raw pine nuts(The hero crunch element)
- 3 tbsp baby capers(Drained and patted dry)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 cup raw tahini(Use a high-quality, runny brand)
- 1 packed cup mixed fresh herbs(Equal parts cilantro, parsley, and mint)
- 1 large lemon(Juiced)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup ice water(Essential for fluffy tahini)
- 5 tbsp olive oil(remaining olive oil)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). On a large, heavy-duty sheet pan, toss 2 large Baladi eggplants and 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp Baharat spice blend, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Massage the spices into the chicken skin and ensure the eggplant wedges are thoroughly coated. Arrange the chicken skin-side up, with the eggplant tucked around it so it can soak up the rendering juices.
10 min
Tip: Do not crowd the pan; use two pans if necessary so the eggplant roasts rather than steams.
- 2
Transfer the sheet pan to the hot oven and roast for 35 minutes. Do not touch it! The high heat is essential here—we want the chicken skin to shatter and the eggplant to scorch on the edges while turning to absolute velvet inside.
35 min
Tip: The chicken fat will render and baste the eggplant perfectly.
- 3
While the chicken roasts, make the emerald tahini. In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup raw tahini, 1 packed cup mixed fresh herbs, the juice of 1 large lemon, and 1 clove garlic. Pulse until roughly chopped, then slowly stream in 1/4 cup ice water while the machine runs. Process until violently green and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
10 min
Tip: The ice water is my absolute secret to fluffy, cloud-like tahini that emulsifies perfectly without splitting.
- 4
Now, let's build the crunch. Heat the remaining 5 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup raw pine nuts and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly until they blush a pale gold. Stir in 3 tbsp baby capers, 1/4 cup golden raisins, and 1 tsp Aleppo pepper. Let them sizzle for 1 minute until the capers crisp and the raisins puff up. Remove from heat immediately.
10 min
Tip: Pine nuts turn from golden to burnt in a matter of seconds, so take the pan off the heat the moment they look right.
- 5
To serve, take your most beautiful, wide, shallow bowl or platter. Swirl the emerald tahini generously across the bottom. Carefully layer the blistered eggplant wedges, then nestle the crispy chicken thighs on top. Take a spoon and cascade every last drop of the warm pine nut and caper oil over the entire dish. Garnish with a final handful of fresh herbs and serve immediately.
5 min
Tip: The contrast between the cold, creamy tahini and the screaming-hot chicken and eggplant is what makes this dish unforgettable.
Chef's Notes
Baladi eggplants are those beautiful, pleated, teardrop-shaped eggplants you see in Middle Eastern markets. They are sweeter, less bitter, and creamier than standard globe eggplants, making them perfect for high-heat roasting. If you absolutely cannot find them, a standard globe eggplant will work beautifully—just score the flesh slightly so it absorbs all that incredible spiced chicken fat.
Yael Mizrahi
Bold flavors, beautiful plates
Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.