Name: Roasted Eggplant with Cashew Butter
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup distilled white vinegar; ¼ cup sugar; 1 Tbsp. kosher salt; 3 mini bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced crosswise; 3 mixed chiles (such as serrano, Fresno, and/or jalapeño), thinly sliced crosswise; 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 cup cashews; ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil; ⅓ cup vegetable oil; 1 tsp. sugar; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice; 1 tsp. fish sauce; 3–6 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 2 lb. eggplants, preferably fairy tale, cut into 1½"-thick wedges, halved if small; Kosher salt; 1 medium shallot, finely chopped; 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice; ¼ cup basil leaves; ¼ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems; 1 Tbsp. thinly sliced chives

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Photo by Elizabeth Cecil

Fairy tale eggplants are sweet, creamy, and never too seedy. They get simply roasted here, then served over a creamy cashew sauce that’s brightened with lime juice. Make this cashew butter once, and you’ll want to use it on roasted vegetables year-round. This recipe is from Drifters Wife in Portland, ME, our No. 9 Best New Restaurant 2018.

Eggplant with Cashew Butter and Pickled Peppers

Recipe notes