Marinated Eggplant With Capers And Mint Recipes

MARINATED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat your oven broiler.
• Arrange eggplant in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil (total). Broil about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes total.
• Stir together vinegar, mint, capers, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil and toss with warm eggplant. Marinate at least 20 minutes.

MARINATED EGGPLANT WITH MINT

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant, then drain, pressing gently on eggplant to extract any excess liquid. Pat dry.
• Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic and mint.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant, about 8 slices at a time, until cooked through and pale golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer eggplant as fried to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a large shallow dish, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon some of vinegar mint mixture over each batch. Marinate eggplant, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.

MARINATED EGGPLANT WITH CAPERS AND MINT

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Arrange eggplant in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil (total). Broil about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes total.
• Stir together vinegar, mint, capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil and toss with warm eggplant. Marinate at least 20 minutes.

CHARRED EGGPLANT WITH BURRATA AND FRIED CAPERS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan or skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, dry the capers very well by wrapping them in paper towels or a clean dish towel and wringing out the moisture. (If there is too much moisture, the oil will sputter aggressively.) Line a plate or tray with paper towels or a clean dish towel.
• When the oil is ready, carefully drop the capers in and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. (Watch closely, as smaller capers will cook more quickly.) Remove the capers from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the lined plate. They will crisp up further as they cool.
• Transfer the caper-infused oil to a large heatproof bowl and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Lay the disks of eggplant on a large cutting board or sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, flip over and drizzle the other side. Heat a large (12-inch) grill pan or cast-iron skillet on medium-high. (See Tip for grilling instructions.) When hot, working in batches, add the eggplant disks in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes, pressing the eggplant into the pan to encourage browning. Flip, reduce heat to medium and cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes, until completely tender. (The eggplant continues to soften as it soaks up the marinade in the next step, so don't be tempted to overcook.) Remove the eggplant from the pan and place them back on the cutting board or plate. Continue cooking the remaining eggplant.
• Meanwhile, to the bowl with the cooled caper-infused oil, add the herbs, garlic, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a few pinches of black pepper. Toss to combine and taste, making sure it has enough salt. Add the warm eggplant slices to the oil and gently toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 5 minutes (see Tip).
• Serve this on one large platter or as four separate servings. Place the burrata (for single servings, halve each ball of burrata) on the plate along with the eggplant and top with any remaining marinade and the fried capers, and scatter with fresh herbs.

ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATO AND MINT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange eggplant rounds in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Roast until undersides are browned and release easily from sheet, 25 minutes. Flip each round and season with salt and pepper. Roast until undersides are browned and eggplant is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon oil, ricotta salata, capers, onion, tomatoes, mint, and vinegar. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, if desired. Transfer eggplant to a serving platter. Top each round with a spoonful of tomato mixture and serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MINT MARINADE

Steps:

• Lay the eggplant slices out on paper towels and sprinkle with the salt. Let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Place the eggplant in a bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and pour the rest over the eggplant, turning to coat it well. Set aside no longer than 30 minutes.
• Preheat a grill or broiler. Grill or broil the eggplant until browned and tender, about 5 minutes per side. Divide among 4 plates, drizzle with the reserved marinade and sprinkle with mint. Serve

MARINATED EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC AND MINT

Steps:

• 1 Trim the tops and bottoms of the eggplants. Cut the eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with salt. Place the eggplant over a plate to drain for at least 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt with cool water and dry the slices with paper towels. 2 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Brush the eggplant slices with the oil and arrange them oiled-side down in a single layer on cookie sheets. Brush the tops with oil. Bake the slices for 10 minutes. Turn and bake until browned and tender, about 10 minutes more. 3 In a shallow plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, make a layer of the eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with vinegar, garlic, mint, and pepper. Repeat the layering until all of the ingredients are used. 4 Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. These keep well for several days. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.