AMORONIA (BAKED CHICKEN AND EGGPLANT)

Esther Serruya Weyl contributed this recipe, of Turkish origin, to the JFS recipe archive as part of her research into Jewish culinary traditions brought to Brazil.

Ingredients

1 pound chicken thighs , skin-on, bone-in

2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt , divided

1 large eggplant, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices

⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup honey

¼ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 430 degrees.

Prepare the chicken: season each chicken thigh with about ½ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Make sure to season all sides of the chicken. Place on a baking sheet, skin side up, and roast in the oven for about 50 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown, with an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, fry the eggplant: Place the eggplant slices on a wire rack and sprinkle all the pieces with salt on both sides, about 1 tablespoon of salt in total. Set the eggplant aside for about 30 minutes. Pat the eggplant slices dry with a paper towel. Place ⅓ cup olive oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place about 4 slices into the pan. Fry the eggplants until deep golden brown on each side, about 5 to 7 minutes for each side. Transfer fried eggplant to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil. Continue frying the rest of the eggplants in batches, adding more oil if needed and adjusting the heat if necessary. Set aside.

Saute the onions: Place a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and allow the oil to heat up. Add the onion slices into the pan and cook until they are soft and brown, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the honey into the pan, stir into the onions until combined, and turn off the heat. Set aside.

Shred the chicken: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred all the meat off the bone, using two forks, into bite-sized pieces. Discard the chicken bones and any cartilage. Place the shredded chicken into a medium bowl. Add cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, and mix well to combine. Set aside.

Assemble the Amoronia: Place about 5 of the eggplant slices into the bottom of a 7.5 x 5.5inch baking dish, in one layer. Layer half of the shredded chicken over the eggplant. Spread ¾ of the onions over the chicken. Add the remaining chicken over the onion and top it with a layer of the remaining eggplant slices. Sprinkle the rest of the sautéed onions on top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Serve hot.