Most cooks will inform you their greatest recipes begin with a reminiscence. For Silver Iocovozzi, one specifically stands out: his grilled eggplant smothered in a shiny mixture of seasoned tomatoes, a dish he first tasted on a seaside within the Philippines.
Iocovozzi, who grew up in North Carolina, runs Neng Jr.’s in Asheville along with his husband, Cherry. Iocovozzi’s father was an American serviceman. His mom, Neneng, is from the Philippines. (Her nickname is Neng, and he was a lot like her when he was rising up, folks known as him Neng Jr.) The tiny restaurant has grow to be a nationwide darling for a menu that marries Filipino meals with Appalachian components and approach. The eggplant, a favourite with diners, started on a go to to his mom’s homeland in 2018, throughout a morning he spent on the seaside along with his uncle close to his home within the metropolis of Batangas.
“Tito Arnold is hilarious and likes to have loads of enjoyable continually,” Iocovozzi says. “We had been up early simply having fun with the seaside earlier than it obtained too sizzling, and a lady walked towards us carrying this bag of eggplants.” His uncle purchased some and made a fireplace, pushing the coals right into a pyramid and roasting the eggplants, known as talong in Tagalog, till they had been almost black. He nestled them into bowls lined with banana leaves and topped them with an attractive mix of tomatoes and cilantro spiked with fish sauce. “That was one of the vital memorable dishes I had within the Philippines,” Iocovozzi says.
It’s a straightforward dish to re-create at dwelling. He prefers Japanese eggplants as a result of they flip so custardy on the grill. Keep away from ones that really feel too agency, he advises. They need to give if you press on them along with your thumb.
Grilling the eggplants requires slightly endurance. Pull them too quickly and the flesh gained’t grow to be creamy, a texture important to the dish. Wait till the pores and skin chars to black. They need to launch slightly puff of steam after they’re prepared.
Consider the topping as a sort of juicy salsa. Sliced Sungold or different cherry tomatoes work properly, however be happy to make use of any good summer time backyard tomatoes chopped into roughly uniform items. You need probably the most flavorful tomatoes you will discover. “I wish to let the components converse for themselves,” Iocovozzi says.
You can also make the combination forward of time and chill it earlier than you high the steaming eggplants for much more hot-cold distinction, however it’s simply advantageous to whip it up proper earlier than serving, too. Like a lot of the Neng Jr.’s menu, the dish displays one of the best sort of culinary amalgamation. Although Iocovozzi was raised on Filipino meals, one of many first eating places he labored in was an Jap Carolina barbecue spot. “There’s this appreciation of open-fire cooking that crosses cultures,” he says. “I attempt to keep true to the flavors of my mother and the meals I grew up with, however I need it to really feel real to this place.”