May 26, 2010

Stuffed eggplant recipe

I'm on an eggplant binge. Some time ago I posted a recipe for eggplant crumble to which my readers responed with mixed emotions. This is a 100% southern Italian recipe for stuffed eggplant I learned to make in Calabria. It employs bread, mint leaves and Pecorino Romano cheese.

A Mediterranean summer solace.


Ingredients:
4-6 large eggplants
Day-old bread, crusts removed and crumbled (for amounts see below)
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
50 g (1/4 cup) Italian flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
A sprig of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stem the eggplants but don't peel them, and blanch them briefly in salted water. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp with a spoon, leaving about 1/2-inch from the skins.

Sliver the pulp–for each cup of chopped eggplant pulp you’ll need about 3/4 cup crumbled stale bread. Mix the slivered pulp with the bread, garlic, parsley, mint and cheese, a glug of olive oil and season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Lightly grease the skins of the eggplant shells with a dab of olive oil, and place in a parchment paper-lined ovenproof dish.

Heap the shells with the mixture, drizzle with more olive oil, and bake at moderate temperature (190° C / 375° F) until done, roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour, oven depending.

Pop the cork off the chilled white CirĂ² and let the pleasure moans begin.


{Calabrian eye candy}




22 comments:

  1. This looks amazing. I am not a fan of mint..what if I were to use basil instead? Or just omit the mint? What do you think?

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  2. This is something I am absolutely going to adore, Lola. I love aubergines and am always on the lookout for recipes.

    Hope you and your lovely son are well

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  3. This would be a good lunch! I like the candy:)

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  4. A sweet hello from Frog Hollow Farm Eleonora - this recipe sounds great and it's another one I'll be trying soon. I think that it would be perfect with the zucchine recipe as part of an aperitivo. I remember way back when, when FHFB and I were in college, I tried making stuffed eggplant for him for dinner. It's down in posterity as the worst thing I ever tried to make for dinner - we still laugh when we see eggplants. This recipe sounds moist and delicious, can't wait to try it out! Ciao, bella!

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  5. Sounds wonderful....thank you for the eye candy! smiles.

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  6. I've seen that Calabrian eye-candy up close and personal! Will now have to try this eggplant Calabriaganza, seeing as the recipe is from my grandfather's homeland. Sadly, none of that delicious Pecorino can be found here. Will have to console myself with an extra bottle...er...glass of wine.

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  7. I'm ready for the eggplant season to begin and make stuffed eggplants too. We saw those bronze statues when we were in Reggio Calabria and they took our breath away. Just amazing.

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  8. Eggplants are an acquired taste for most Americans. When I purchase them in supermarkets people want to know what and how to use them.
    At my house,eggplants are a steady diet all year long. Though it is too cold for me to grow big ones here, I can grow the Japanese variety on my patio, against sunny south windows.

    This recipe rates high up there!

    My mother used to fry the inside with eggs before stuffing them back and adding breadcrumbs, cheese
    and parsley.

    I do like the idea of mint, too.

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  9. Regina~ I usually shy from mint myself, but it gave this dish somewhat of a Middle Eastern flair. I'd say definitely go with basil instead!
    FF~ I have eggplant recipes galore! How are you? Missed you...
    Spacedlaw~ ...buonissimo! :)
    CChuck~ It's a great lunch indeed!
    FHFG~ That's a sweet story. Hopefully you can redeem your eggplant karma with this recipe.
    Emom~ Glad you enjoy... ;)
    Francine~ Yeah!
    Louciao~ Email me with your whereabouts for a list of overseas Pecorino purveyors...
    CCLinda~ I have a crush on old Curly...
    Rosaria~ I decided to go with the lighter version (no frying) but didn't know about the egg. Thanks!

    Ciao

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  10. Eleonora, you blanch them for just 2 or 3 minutes? Then the pulp must not be very soft,no?

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  11. I love eggplant...will be trying this recipe soon. thanks

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  12. Ciao Eleonora. This dish looks wonderful - I love eggplant. We are going to be taking a class from Rosetta Costantino (Calabria from Scratch - www.calabriafromscratch.com) here in the Bay Area in August entitled "The Queen of Vegetables -
    Eggplant from Appetizer to Dessert". Very much looking forward to it and this is a great addition. Mike

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  13. Love eggplant, we grew up on stuffed eggplant and eggplant parmesan, i recently found a recipe that called for baking the slices first (coated with egg and breadcrumbs and spices)before layering and baking again. SO delicious. and no frying involved.

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  14. Joe~ Yes, just enough to allow you to scoop out the pulp 1 cm from the skin.
    Theresa~ Let me know how it turns out.
    Mike~ That class sounds delicious! And I agree on the Queen title.
    Lori~ My eggplant parm version is fry-less too! I roast my slices or grill them on the bbq before layering. Yummy

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  15. This recipe is so adorable! I like the concept and the idea. This is perfect for lunch.

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  16. this looks obscenely good. I might have to do this on Friday for guests. What am I saying? IT IS FRIDAY. I might have to do this tonight for guests. Lord.

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  17. Dining Room Tables~ It's good for any meal!
    Diana~ Your guests are already so lucky to be there! Give them the eggplant bonus and let me know how it goes... Hugs.

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  18. I looked like that when I was 25 or so (except you have to picture him with red hair.)

    Mmmmmmmmmm. A good eggplant dish is a pure delight. When cooked correctly, the texture is unique and the taste wonderful.

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  19. Jim~ I read and loved your comment, I just can't seem to "approve" it!! I'm in the middle of shifting to a www domain, and so Blogger's going kinda crazy... Sorry if you don't see your comment up yet.

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  20. Woohoo! Here's to Calabrian eye candy!
    And thanks for the recipe ... my parents grow them in the summer and I need something new to do with them!

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