Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat
broiler.
Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a
few holes all over it to vent steam. Broil the eggplant, turning with
tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted
into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant in half
lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the
lemon juice to help prevent discoloring. Add oil and stir with a fork
until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) Stir in feta,
onion, bell pepper, chile pepper (if using), basil, parsley, cayenne
and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed.
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