Eggplant Pecorino
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients for the sauce:
2 TB butter
1/4 cup finely minced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovy fillets, minced
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions for the sauce:
Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, anchovy fillets, salt, pepper flakes, and oregano. Cook until onions have started to soften, 3-5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and sugar and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 10-12 minutes. Off the heat, stir in olive oil and basil. Set aside until ready to assemble and bake the eggplant.
Ingredients for the eggplant stacks:
3 10-16 oz eggplants (may not need third one)
1 cup of AP/plain flour, for coating
3 large eggs, for coating
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, for frying
4 oz pecorino romano, grated
4 oz fontina, shredded
Fresh oregano, for garnish
Directions for the eggplant stacks:
Trim the tops from 2 eggplants, then slice lengthwise into thin 1/4-inch slices until you have 20 slices. If necessary, use the third eggplant.
Heat olive oil to 350F in a 12-inch frying pan. Working with three slices at a time, dredge eggplant in the flour, knocking off the excess, then dredge in the egg, then add to the pan. Fry until just golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Place slices on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain, and it's helpful for assembly to arrange the slices in stacks of large, medium, and small.
Place oven rack in the upper-medium position and set to 375F. Place 1 cup of sauce in a large, deep baking pan and spread to cover bottom. Starting with the largest slices, arrange four in top-to-tail fashion. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over slices, then sprinkle over 1/4 of the pecorino.
Repeat layers, working from largest slices to smallest, building four distinct stacks of eggplant-sauce-cheese layers (each stack will have five slices of eggplant), finishing with the last layer of eggplant. Spread over remaining sauce, then top with the fontina.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, then broil/grill until the fontia is nicely browned, about 3 mintues (keep an eye on it). Let sit for 20 minutes to firm up, then serve 1 stack per person.
Recipe from Cook's Country/America's Test Kitchen
The CookingBites recipe challenge: aubergine (eggplant)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients for the sauce:
2 TB butter
1/4 cup finely minced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovy fillets, minced
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions for the sauce:
Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, anchovy fillets, salt, pepper flakes, and oregano. Cook until onions have started to soften, 3-5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and sugar and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 10-12 minutes. Off the heat, stir in olive oil and basil. Set aside until ready to assemble and bake the eggplant.
Ingredients for the eggplant stacks:
3 10-16 oz eggplants (may not need third one)
1 cup of AP/plain flour, for coating
3 large eggs, for coating
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, for frying
4 oz pecorino romano, grated
4 oz fontina, shredded
Fresh oregano, for garnish
Directions for the eggplant stacks:
Trim the tops from 2 eggplants, then slice lengthwise into thin 1/4-inch slices until you have 20 slices. If necessary, use the third eggplant.
Heat olive oil to 350F in a 12-inch frying pan. Working with three slices at a time, dredge eggplant in the flour, knocking off the excess, then dredge in the egg, then add to the pan. Fry until just golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Place slices on a paper towel-lined sheet pan to drain, and it's helpful for assembly to arrange the slices in stacks of large, medium, and small.
Place oven rack in the upper-medium position and set to 375F. Place 1 cup of sauce in a large, deep baking pan and spread to cover bottom. Starting with the largest slices, arrange four in top-to-tail fashion. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over slices, then sprinkle over 1/4 of the pecorino.
Repeat layers, working from largest slices to smallest, building four distinct stacks of eggplant-sauce-cheese layers (each stack will have five slices of eggplant), finishing with the last layer of eggplant. Spread over remaining sauce, then top with the fontina.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, then broil/grill until the fontia is nicely browned, about 3 mintues (keep an eye on it). Let sit for 20 minutes to firm up, then serve 1 stack per person.
Recipe from Cook's Country/America's Test Kitchen
The CookingBites recipe challenge: aubergine (eggplant)
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