Eggplant By Mario Batali Recipes

EGGPLANT ROLLATINI

Steps:

• Spoon the ricotta into a fine strainer placed over a bowl in the refrigerator for several hours. Discard the excess liquid.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread thin coating of olive oil on 3 baking or cookie sheet pans, or reuse the same pan several times.
• Wash the eggplants and cut the tips off. Put the flat end down onto the cutting board. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices, to make about 15 slices. Beat 4 of the eggs. Add salt and pepper to season eggs. Coat each eggplant slice with flour, then dip into the beaten eggs, drain any excess egg mixture, and lay flat on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. If you can't cook all of the eggplant at once, bake them in batches. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Note: You can make the eggplant ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator.
• Combine spinach, ricotta, remaining egg, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the grated Romano or Parmesan in a bowl. Mix well. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Spoon 1 cup of tomato sauce onto the bottom of a small baking dish. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the wide end of each piece of eggplant. Then, roll up each piece and place into the baking dish.
• Top with remaining tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, and remaining grated Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the tomato sauce is bubbling and the filling is hot. Let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and the canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the whole tomatoes and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning, the tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the flavors coming together. Cook for another few minutes if the tomatoes still taste like they need a little more time to break down. Set aside to cool.
• For the eggplant (this step is optional, leave it out if you have limited time): Arrange the eggplant rounds in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt on both sides of each slice and allow it to sit for about 1 hour. Salting it draws out the liquid and bitter flavor. After an hour, rinse with cold water and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
• Put the flour in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the oregano and fresh thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess. Then, dip in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat both sides of each slice of eggplant. Arrange them in single layers on the baking sheets.
• In a large skillet, pour enough oil to accumulate about 1/2-inch in the bottom. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke lightly (alternatively, test with a thermometer and wait until the oil registers between 380 degrees F and 400 degrees F). Use a pair of kitchen tongs to add a single layer of the eggplant to the pan. Cook them until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel so the eggplant can drain as the others cook. Season lightly with salt. Take care to reheat the oil back up to temperature before adding another batch of slices to the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble: In a 9 by 13-inch flameproof baking dish, spoon about 1/4 of the tomato sauce on the bottom. Top with a layer of the fried eggplant; the eggplant slices can overlap slightly. Top with about 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the Parmesan and provolone cheeses. Top with a layer of torn basil leaves. Spoon sauce and repeat the layering 2 more times to make 3 layers. End with the remaining mozzarella. Carefully press the layers down firmly into the dish once assembled. Place the dish in the top part of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. For extra browning, put the dish under the broiler for a minute or two just before serving to get an extra brown cheesy top. I always nibble on a bit of that before sharing it with my friends!

EGGPLANT PARMESAN: PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE (MARIO BATALI)

Steps:

• Make the Tomato Sauce:.
• In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve.
• This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
• Put Together the Eggplant Parmigiana:.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Wash and towel dry the eggplant. Slice the eggplant horizontally about 1/4-inch thick. Place the slices in a large colander, sprinkle with salt and set aside to rest about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the eggplant and dry on towels.
• In a saute pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil until just smoking. Press the drained eggplant pieces into the seasoned bread crumb mixture and saute until light golden brown on both sides. Repeat with all of the pieces. On a cookie sheet lay out the 4 largest pieces of eggplant. Place 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce over each piece and place a thin slice of mozzarella on top of each. Sprinkle with Parmigiano and top each with the next smallest piece of eggplant, then sauce then mozzarella. Repeat the layering process until all the ingredients have been used, finishing again with the Parmigiano. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the top of each little stack is golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

EGGPLANT BY MARIO BATALI

Steps:

• Preheat the grill or broiler. In a 10 to 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil until smoking. Add the onions, and cook until lightly browned or softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add eggplant and cook, stirring regularly, until they turn golden brown and soft, resembling mushrooms, about 10 minutes. Remove the mixture from heat and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cool. Add the parsley and mix well to combine. Grill or toast the bread until golden brown. Place each slice on a serving plate or in a shallow bowl. Divide the eggplant mixture over the bread and serve with shards of cheese and black pepper sprinkled over the top. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/eggplant-cooked-in-the-style-of-mushroom-topping-melanzane-al-fungo-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

EGGPLANT BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• In a 1- to 12 inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until smoking. Add the onion and cook until just softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Removed from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, preheat the grill or broiler.
• Toast the bread on the grill or under the broiler until golden brown on both sides.
• Stir the parsley into the eggplant mixture, spoon the mixture onto the toasts, and serve.

MARIO BATALI EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Preheat 450 F. Oil a baking sheet. Slice each eggplant into 6 pieces about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Lightly season each disk with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. Bake until turning deep brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven. Place on a plate to cool. Lower oven temperature to 350 F. In 8 by 12-inch brownie pan, place the 4 largest eggplant slices evenly spaced apart. Spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce on each and sprinkle with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon grated Parmigiano. Place the smaller slices of eggplant over each of the disks and repeat until all the ingredients are used. Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the top and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and the tops turn light brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Tomato Sauce: In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Yield: 4 cups Recipe courtesy Mario Batali