Sabich

Fried Eggplant, Hard-Boiled Egg, Israeli Salad, Fries, Tahini, and Sourdough Pita

Restaurateurs Or Amsalam and Alexander Phaneuf of Hasiba | Los Angeles

Adapted by StarChefs | June 2021

INGREDIENTS:

Pita:
(Yield: 10 pitas)
1 kilogram flour, plus more for shaping
150 grams sourdough starter, fed 4 hours prior to use
25 grams sea salt, finely ground

Amba Sauce:
2 ripe mangos, peeled and pit removed
10 Calabrian chiles
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup honey
½ cup white vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried red chile
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Israeli Salad:
Cucumber, diced
Tomato, diced
Carrot, diced

Fried Eggplant:
1 eggplant
Salt
Oil for frying

To Assemble and Serve:
French fries
Hard boiled egg, sliced
Salt
Black pepper
Lemon juice
Hummus
Tahini
Fresh herbs

METHOD:

For the Pita:
In a large bowl, mix flour and 700 grams warm, filtered water until there are no clumps. Let rest 30 minutes. Add starter and sea salt. Mix dough for about 5 minutes or until smooth and slightly tight. Let sit 30 minutes. Fold the dough over itself 4 to 5 times to strengthen the gluten. Let sit 30 minutes. Repeat folds and let sit another 30 minutes. Once dough has doubled in size, dump it onto work surface and divide into 10 equal-sized balls. Shape each ball into tight rounds and place them on a baking sheet. Store in fridge overnight. 

The following day, place a baking sheet in the oven and turn the temperature to 500℉, letting the baking sheet preheat with the oven. Flour your work surface. Place a dough ball from the fridge on the work surface and coat it in flour. Quickly roll the dough out very thin then throw it into the hot oven. Remove once ballooned and colored. Repeat for all remaining dough balls.

For the Amba:
Add all ingredients to a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth.

For the Israeli Salad:
Combine all ingredients. Set aside.

For the Fried Eggplant:
In a large bowl, combine eggplant and salt. Let sweat at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Using a paper towel, press out any excess juice from the eggplant. Transfer eggplant to a deep fryer and fry until golden brown. Set aside.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup Israeli Salad, Fried Eggplant, French fries, egg, salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. Open a Pita and spread hummus on the inside. Add enough of the Fried Eggplant mixture to fill half of the pita. Top with Amba Sauce and tahini. Fill the Pita with more Fried Eggplant mixture then top with more Amba Sauce, tahini, and herbs.

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