This is what we thought up and constructed for dinner last night… it was divine. Thanks to Paul for suggesting the pancetta, it’s perfect for this dish.
Ingredients:
- one aubergine per person
- one ball of fresh mozzarella per 2 persons
- 60 g of pancetta per person (amazing italian bacon, you’ll have to get this from your deli)
- chestnut mushrooms (I think this is what they’re called; in Dutch they’re called “kastanje champignons”) – obviously you can improvise if you can’t find these
- onions
- italian spices (oreganum, dried basil, etc), salt, freshly ground black pepper
- basil pesto
- rucola (aka rocket salad)
- fresh tomatoes
fresh focaccia or other rough bread
Recipe:- cut the aubergines into 1cm thick slices
- sprinkle with salt on both sides, allow to drain for 10 to 15 minutes
- whilst the aubergine slices are draining, lightly fry the chopped mushrooms and onions in good olive oil, season with spices, salt and pepper
- put the mushrooms and onions in a bowl when done
- lightly fry the pancetta in olive oil, remove when done
- fry the drained aubergine slices until they’re browned on both sides (and tasty!) – don’t be shy with the olive oil
- on some tin foil, build little towers consisting of a layer of aubergine, some mushrooms and onion, some pancetta, another layer of aubergine, etc. End with mushrooms and onions as the top layer
- put your aubergine building complex under the grill (200 degrees celsius or something) for 15 to 30 minutes, or until you feel that enough grilling has taken place :)
- during the last 4 or 5 minutes of grilling, top each aubergine tower with a slice of the fresh mozzarella and a teaspoon (or more) of pesto; season generously with spices, salt and pepper – the cheese will melt and the cheese and pesto will form a lovely mixture slowly oozing down (hmmmm)
- make a bed of rucola leaves and fresh sliced tomato in a plate
- install your aubergine towers on this bed
- serve with focaccia
- install your aubergine towers on this bed
- make a bed of rucola leaves and fresh sliced tomato in a plate
- during the last 4 or 5 minutes of grilling, top each aubergine tower with a slice of the fresh mozzarella and a teaspoon (or more) of pesto; season generously with spices, salt and pepper – the cheese will melt and the cheese and pesto will form a lovely mixture slowly oozing down (hmmmm)
- put your aubergine building complex under the grill (200 degrees celsius or something) for 15 to 30 minutes, or until you feel that enough grilling has taken place :)
- on some tin foil, build little towers consisting of a layer of aubergine, some mushrooms and onion, some pancetta, another layer of aubergine, etc. End with mushrooms and onions as the top layer
- fry the drained aubergine slices until they’re browned on both sides (and tasty!) – don’t be shy with the olive oil
- lightly fry the pancetta in olive oil, remove when done
- put the mushrooms and onions in a bowl when done
- whilst the aubergine slices are draining, lightly fry the chopped mushrooms and onions in good olive oil, season with spices, salt and pepper
- sprinkle with salt on both sides, allow to drain for 10 to 15 minutes
- cut the aubergines into 1cm thick slices
- fresh tomatoes
- rucola (aka rocket salad)
- basil pesto
- italian spices (oreganum, dried basil, etc), salt, freshly ground black pepper
- onions
- chestnut mushrooms (I think this is what they’re called; in Dutch they’re called “kastanje champignons”) – obviously you can improvise if you can’t find these
- 60 g of pancetta per person (amazing italian bacon, you’ll have to get this from your deli)
- one ball of fresh mozzarella per 2 persons