Recipe from NYT Cooking by Joan Nathan
6 to 8 TB Sesame or Olive Oil
2 lbs Eggplant
Sea Salt, to taste
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 whole Chicken, 4 to 5 lbs, but into 8 pieces
1 tsp ground Allspice
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock or Water
1 dried Lime (optional, available at Middle Eastern Groceries)
1 bunch Chard, about 1 lb, cleaned, trimmed and roughly chopped into 1 to 2” pieces
Juice of 1 Lemon
Heat oven to 375 F. And brush a baking sheet, liberally with 3 TB oil. Slice tops and bottoms of the eggplant, then slice into 1/2” thick rounds and arrange on a single layer on baking sheet. Brush rounds generously with some of the oil, sprinkle with a little salt, then bake for 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid, warm 2 TB oil over medium-high heat. Sauce onions and garlic until onions are soft and beginning to brown, reducing the heat as needed to avoid burning, about 15 minutes. Remove to a plate. Sprinkle chicken with salt, half the allspice and half the turmeric. Add chicken to pot in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, and brown on all sides, adding oil if needed and removing chicken when it’s browned. Arrange eggplant slices on the bottom of the pot and cover with the onion and garlic. Add more salt, the remaining allspice and the remaining turmeric, then top with chicken, chicken stock or water and dried lime, if using. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, then remove from that and let cool before refrigerating overnight. The next day, skim off and discard the layer of fat on the top of the stew. Add the chard to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is heated through. Fish out the lime, if using, and discard. Arrange chicken on a platter surround by vegetables, serving sauce in a separate bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over everything and serve.