Serves 4

For sauce:
1 cup yogurt, preferably whole fat
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
handful chopped basil

For manta:
2 medium eggplants
1/4 cup sheep's fat or rinsed salt pork, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
3/4 pound lamb, ground or finely chopped
11/2 teaspoon dried orange peel
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce, combine garlic and basil with yogurt. This should be made at least 2 hours, or up to a day, ahead.

Slice eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Dice the flesh finely.

Brown fat in skillet over moderately high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and golden. Add lamb and cook until it loses its pink color. Stir in eggplant and orange peel and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Heap stuffing into each eggplant half. (Up to this point, recipe can be made several hours ahead. Refrigerate until ready to serve.) Set eggplants into large steamer unit over simmering water, and steam 6 to 8 minutes until the eggplant shells are cooked through but not soggy.

Serve with basil-garlic sauce cold or at room temperature on top or on the side.

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