When we are done in the field at the end of the day, we feel lazy in the kitchen and want something that is full of flavor but takes little effort to get there. This recipe is very simple and requires few ingredients, and we make this at least once a week during eggplant season. This dish has converted many an eggplant skeptic into an eggplant lover!

Start with a large black globe eggplant. (Get it fresh from your garden, the farmers’ market or a local farm stand; eggplants from the grocery store are usually quite tired.) Halve the eggplant lengthwise, leaving the stem on. Using a sharp knife, score the flesh of the eggplant deeply without cutting all the way through in a cross-hatch pattern, creating inch-wide cubes in the flesh. Sprinkle thoroughly with salt and set aside for at least two hours to drain. The salt draws out the moisture in the eggplant and allows better caramelization.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix together some high-quality olive oil, maple syrup, lots of grated garlic and salt. Dab the eggplant with a clean kitchen towel to remove moisture, and spoon the maple-garlic mixture over top, getting it deep into the crevasses of the cuts. Slice a couple of cloves of garlic and stick them between the cuts in the eggplant (this opens up the eggplant and allows it to cook more evenly).

Preheat your oven to 350°. Heat a big cast-iron skillet over medium-high, drizzle olive oil in the bottom, and put your eggplant halves cut-side down once the oil begins to smoke.

Sear untouched for several minutes and then place skillet into the oven and bake until the eggplant is caramelized and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Flip the eggplant halves and stick in the oven a little longer to get a nice char on the skin side. You want the eggplant to be gooey and melted all the way through, with a caramelized crust on the cut side.

We love to serve this dish drizzled with a tahini-lemon-garlic sauce and topped with wild chanterelles (or any good mushroom) pan-fried in butter. Garnish with fresh flat-leaf parsley. The result is the most flavorful, decadent meal that will make you fall in love with eggplant in a whole new way.