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This is a recipe that took a few twists and turns to get to where it ended up. I had never heard of Hasselback Potatoes until a 12-year-old on Top Chef Junior prepared something that way. The technique involves slicing the potato almost all the way through at even intervals. I filed that away for future reference until I saw a bin of baby eggplant at the local fruit and vegetable market. I immediately wondered if I could do the same thing with them. I decided to leave the stem on, both for visual appeal and to hold them together.
The Hasselback technique usually involves peeling the potato and then squaring it off so the sections are relatively even. I figured it would work on an oblong shape. Because I decided to leave the stem on, I was able to slice all the way through, since the stem side held the eggplant together.
The technique also involves jamming the gaps with something. In my case, I used a basil pesto I had made previously.
Now then...what to put in the pan? A traditional eggplant parmesan involves slicing the eggplant into discs, breading them, frying them in a pan, and finishing off with a red sauce. I had the eggplant at a 90 degree angle to where it usually is, but I figured it would work if I oiled the pan and then brushed the eggplant with oil.
SIDE NOTE: I have seen some recipes that call for drizzling oil on the thing you're baking. I have always thought this was a bad technique because the oil is applied inconsistently (some pieces get it, and other are bare). As a result, I am not a drizzler.
Finally, I made a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano, and thyme and set the pans under the broiler.
To be honest, I was concerned that the pesto would melt and end up in a puddle underneath the eggplant. I considered rotating the eggplant 90 degrees, but I wanted the breadcrumb mixture to get embedded in the gaps. As it turned out, the pesto mixture stayed put and baked into the flesh of the eggplant.
The final product wasn't as fantastic as I first expected. But, after adding a dash of salt, it was brought up to where I hoped it would be. This tells me that I should have salted the eggplant earlier in the process, so that's part of the recipe. Not bad!
Ingredients
12 baby eggplant of similar sizes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces / 115 g basil pesto
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375° F / 190° C.
2. Wash eggplant. Leaving the stems on, cut each eggplant at 1/4" intervals so the eggplant stays connected by the stem. Sprinkle inside the gaps with salt.
3. Spread pesto evenly in the gaps of each eggplant.
4. Brush a high-walled baking pan or casserole pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place eggplants in the pan. Brush the remaining olive oil over the skin of the eggplants.
5. Cover baking pan with foil. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender.
6. Blend breadcrumbs, cheese, and thyme and set aside.
7. Turn on the broiler. Remove the foil from the baking pan. Rotate the eggplants so the gaps are facing upward. Sprinkle each eggplant with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil until the breadcrumbs are browned.
