Aleppo Eggplant Kebab

Thick slices of aubergine and flat patties of minced lamb go onto the skewer in turn, and the skewer is turned over an open fire. As the aubergine cooks it gives up water, the water meets the fat of the mince, and the two cook each other. The ingredients do not go past three: aubergine, spiced mince, salt.

Why the slices are cut thick

The reason is technical. A thin slice falls apart the moment it gives up its water and drops off the skewer; a thick one releases slowly and carries the weight of the patty. Thickness changes from cook to cook, but a thin cut ends the dish. Over the fire this balance is what everyone watches.

Why it has to be fire

The identity of the plate comes from the fire. Over coals the outside of the slice chars while the inside cooks in its own steam. A pan does not hold that skin, and what comes out is a wet fry rather than a kebab. So look for eggplant kebab where there is a charcoal grill.

Its place on the Aleppo grill

Among the grill plates of Aleppo it stands apart. Cherry kebab is sauced: the patties cook in cherry juice and the plate comes out sweet and sour. Aleppo kebab is plain, with charred tomato and pepper beside it and nothing more. Here the vegetable is not a garnish but part of the skewer, over the same fire as the meat. That is the distinction.

The sources tying the dish to Aleppo are not Wikipedia: notes from writers who did fieldwork in Syria, and compilations of Aleppo cooking, count it as an Aleppo plate. The name is known along the Euphrates too, where kebab al-banjan appears among the varieties of Deiri kebab.

How to order it

Grilled meat is sold by the skewer, so ask how many skewers a portion holds when you order. Tannour bread, charred tomato and raw onion come beside it. The heat in the mince comes from Aleppo pepper and the dose changes from grill to grill; say at the start if you want it mild.