İmam Bayıldı (Olive-Oil Stuffed Eggplant)

İmam bayıldı translates as the imam fainted, and legend says the local imam swooned when his wife served him this dish — either from delight, or from shock at the olive oil she used. Eggplants are slit open, filled with sweet onions, tomatoes, and garlic, and braised slowly in olive oil until utterly tender. It is a cornerstone of the meze table, served cool with bread to mop up the juices. This is vegetarian cooking at its most generous, with no meat needed to make it memorable.

The imam’s favorite, served cool

Slow cooking turns the eggplant silky and sweet, absorbing the olive oil like a sponge, while the onions collapse into a jammy, garlicky filling. It tastes even better the next day, once the flavors have settled, which is why Turks always make extra. Do not be shy with the olive oil — it is the whole point of the dish. The filling should be sweet and deeply seasoned, so every spoonful tastes of the sun.

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