Roasted Marinated Eggplant Appetizer Recipes

HOPVINE'S MARINATED ROASTED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Remove the peel of the eggplant. (If using Japanese eggplant, it's not necessary to remove the peel.).
• Slice the peeled eggplant thinly, about 1/8 inch thick, then make into smaller pieces (about 1"x2" strips).
• Combine remaining ingredients in a plastic airtight container.
• Add the eggplant pieces, cover, and shake well to coat.
• Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place eggplant pieces on a non-stick baking sheet and roast for 7 minutes, then carefully turn them and roast another 7 minutes until tender.
• Keep the eggplant pieces refrigerated in an airtight container until you use them; they'll keep for up to 3 or 4 days.
• You can use the eggplant in various ways: put them in sandwiches, or (as I do) put the marinated eggplant pieces on your pizza along with the other veggies!
• Note: this marinade is also good for other roasted vegetables like asparagus; you can also grill the eggplant slices instead of roasting and use them as an appetizer (I use my Foreman grill), to make appetizers with them I usually use unpeeled Asian eggplant instead of the regular kind and slice them diagonally about 1/4-inch thick before grilling.

ITALIAN MARINATED EGGPLANT ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and layer on a plate. Set another plate on top as a weight and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook eggplant in batches until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side, adding more olive oil as needed. Drain on paper towels.
• Layer sauteed eggplant slices into a shallow dish. Sprinkle with parsley, basil, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and white wine vinegar.
• Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours to overnight.

MARINATED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Wash and pare the eggplant. Slice 1/2" thick, then cut the slices into 1/2" strips. Drop strips into a pan of boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain into a colandar and and place a small plate on top of the eggplant, adding a heavy weight, such as a gallon jug of water. Let it drain for at least an hour.
• Put the eggplant in a bowl and add garlic, red pepper, salt, oregano, vinegar and olive oil. Stir gently but, well.
• Pack into small Ball canning jars and process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.

MARINATED EGGPLANT SLICES

Steps:

• Place eggplant slices in a colander and toss with kosher salt. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Rinse eggplant well under cold running water and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Combine garlic and vinegar in a small bowl and let stand while you cook the eggplant.
• Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry eggplant slices in batches, adding and heating more oil between batches, until deep golden brown on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Repeat with any remaining slices. Transfer the slices to a large, paper towel-lined platter and let cool.
• Place the cooled eggplant slices on a serving dish in layers, sprinkling each layer with the vinegar-garlic mixture, cilantro, salt (if needed), and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

COLD ROAST LAMB WITH MARINATED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Pulse garlic, rosemary, cumin seeds, and 2 Tbsp. kosher salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in 1/4 cup oil and pulse again until a paste forms. Place lamb on a rimmed baking sheet and rub paste all over, pushing some inside layers of meat. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 300°F. Slice eggplants in half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise into thirds. Working in batches and using 1/2 cup oil total, place a few eggplant spears in a large bowl and drizzle with some oil. Toss, gently massaging each piece to coat; season with kosher salt and pepper. (Because eggplants are very porous when raw, working with a few pieces at a time makes it easier to control where the oil ends up.) Transfer to another rimmed baking sheet.
• Toss shallots and 1/4 cup oil in the bowl you just used for the eggplants, then spoon over eggplants. Cover baking sheet with foil, sealing tightly.
• Place baking sheet with eggplant mixture on bottom rack of oven and baking sheet with lamb on top rack. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb (avoiding gaps) registers 140°F for medium, about 90 minutes (start checking after 1 hour). Remove lamb from oven and tent with foil. Let cool about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove eggplant mixture from oven, uncover, and toss with a spatula. Increase oven temperature to 500°F and immediately place eggplant mixture on top rack. Roast, tossing halfway through, until nicely browned and very tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Remove foil from lamb and roast on top rack until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
• Once eggplant mixture is cool, toss in a large bowl with Master Vegetable Marinade, cover, and let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour.
• Just before serving, toss parsley into eggplant mixture and transfer to a platter. Slice lamb 1/4" thick; arrange on another platter. Drizzle lamb generously with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with Lemony Yogurt Sauce and/or Grilled Serrano Salsa Verde alongside.
• Lamb can be seasoned 12 hours ahead; cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 45 minutes before roasting. Lamb can be roasted and eggplant mixture can be marinated 1 day ahead; cover and chill separately. About 1 hour before serving, remove lamb and eggplant mixture from the fridge and let sit at room temperature to warm up a bit.