Charred lamb, silky smoke, jewels of sour-sweet — the pairing lamb was made for

Across the Middle East, lamb and eggplant have been finishing each other's sentences for centuries. This is that partnership at its best: whole eggplants blackened on the barbecue until they collapse, their smoky flesh whipped silky with garlic, lemon and yoghurt, then draped under charred cutlets and showered with pomegranate seeds. Every element earns its place — smoke, char, cream, and those little sour-sweet bursts that cut the richness. It's under an hour, most of it just eggplants doing their thing over the flame, and it plates up like something from a restaurant you'd struggle to book.

55 mins 2 servings Prep 20 minsCook 35 minsMain CourseMiddle Eastern

Ingredients

  • 4 Your Farmer grass-fed lamb cutlets (1 pack)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate (about 80g)
  • Small handful mint leaves
  • 1 tsp pomegranate molasses (optional)
  • Warm flatbread, to serve

Instructions

For the smoky eggplant

Light the barbecue to high. Prick the eggplants a few times with a fork, then put them whole directly on the grill. Cook for 20–25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so, until the skins are blackened all over and the eggplants have completely collapsed.

2 eggplants

Sit the eggplants in a colander for 5 minutes to drain and cool, then split them and scoop the smoky flesh away from the charred skin. Discard the skins and any pooling liquid.

Whip the flesh with a fork (or a few pulses in a food processor) with the garlic, lemon juice, yoghurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of salt until silky. Taste — it should be smoky first, lemony second.

1 clove garlicjuice of 1/2 lemon2 tbsp Greek yoghurt1 tbsp olive oil

For the cutlets

While the eggplants drain, pat the cutlets dry and rub with the remaining olive oil, the cumin, salt and pepper.

4 lamb cutlets1 tbsp olive oil1/2 tsp cumin

Grill over high heat — fat edge down for the first minute, then 2–3 minutes per side until deeply charred and pink at the bone. Rest for 3 minutes.

Spread the whipped eggplant across a warm platter, prop the cutlets on top, and scatter over the pomegranate seeds and mint. Finish with a thread of olive oil and the pomegranate molasses if using.

pomegranate seedsmint leaves1 tsp pomegranate molasses

Serve with warm flatbread for dragging through the eggplant — that's not optional, that's the best part.

Appears in

In every lamb share — Cutlets (4 pack)

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed lamb share — Pack B selection of pasture-raised lamb cuts, vacuum-sealed, NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Pastured Lamb Share
Sale price From $150.00Regular price $162.41

Why This Pairing Has Lasted Centuries

Cutlets — single ribs off the rack, the tenderest chop on the lamb — bring richness and char to the plate but no sauce of their own. That's the gap the eggplant fills. Burnt whole over flame, an eggplant transforms: the flesh steams inside its own blackened jacket, picking up smoke through the skin, and whips into something closer to a cream than a vegetable. The Middle East has a whole family of dishes built on that trick, and lamb sits over nearly all of them. Pomegranate then does what lemon does in Greece — cuts the richness — but with sweetness attached. The cutlets in every CSA lamb share are from Your Farmer® lambs grown entirely on pasture, and that clean grass-fed flavour is what keeps a plate this bold in balance. The eggplant deserves the same respect — the eco-grown produce side of the farm is where to find it in season.

Swaps and Variations

One tablespoon of tahini in place of the yoghurt takes the eggplant closer to classic baba ganoush territory — nuttier, and dairy-free. No barbecue? Char the eggplants directly over a gas flame on the stovetop, turning with tongs, or roast them at 220°C for 40 minutes (you'll trade away some smoke). Loin chops work over the same fire with an extra couple of minutes a side. Out of pomegranate season, a scatter of quick-pickled red onion brings the same sour lift. And the whipped eggplant, made alone, is a legitimate barbecue side for anything charred — it's very good under a proper steak night too.

Storage and Leftovers

The whipped eggplant keeps 3 days in the fridge and its smoke actually deepens overnight — make it a day ahead without guilt. Cooked cutlets keep 3 days airtight; reheat fast in a hot pan or eat cold. The natural leftover is a wrap: flatbread, a thick smear of the eggplant, lamb pulled from the bone, mint and the last pomegranate seeds. Seed a whole pomegranate while you're at it — the spare half keeps a week in an airtight container and goes with more than you'd think.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know when the eggplants are properly done?

They should look like deflated balloons — skin blackened and papery all over, and the whole thing collapsing when you press it with tongs. Undercooked eggplant is spongy rather than silky, so when in doubt give them another five minutes.

Can I make the smoky eggplant without a barbecue?

Yes — char the eggplants straight over a gas burner, turning with tongs, for about 15 minutes, or roast them whole at 220C for 40 minutes. The gas flame gets you most of the smoke; the oven version is milder but still lovely.

What's the easiest way to get seeds out of a pomegranate?

Halve it, hold a half cut-side down over a bowl, and whack the back firmly with a wooden spoon — the seeds rain out in seconds. Do it inside the bowl's shadow, because the juice stains.

Can I scale this up for guests?

Easily — two packs of cutlets and three eggplants serves four, and the eggplant can be made the day before. Grill the cutlets in one batch on a big barbecue and build the platter in the middle of the table.

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