Thursday, July 11, 2019

On the MENU this week. Parmigiana di Melanzane



(Baked Aubergine with Tomato, Parmesan and Mozzarella)
Image result for parmigiana di melanzane
Image © custonaci web
This is the sort of classic Italian dish that Lynne serves when she feels we need to eat vegetarian, which we do frequently
2 or 3 large Aubergines - salt - 250g good quality Mozzarella – 3 T olive oil - 100g grated Parmesan - fresh Basil leaves
For the Tomato sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped - 2 cloves garlic, sliced - 1 tablespoon parsley with stalks, chopped - 1 T dried oregano - 2 tablespoons olive oil- 450g tin of tomatoes or 500 ml tomato passata – a grating of nutmeg - 1 tablespoon tomato puree - ½ teaspoon sugar – salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slice the aubergines thickly, salt the slices on both sides and leave them to sweat for about ¾ hour. Cook the onion, garlic, parsley and oregano gently in oil, without browning, until they are tender and sweet. Add the other sauce ingredients and boil the mixture until it has thickened, with no trace of wateriness. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Slice or dice the mozzarella
Remove the excess salt from the aubergine and rinse and pat dry. Paint each side with the olive oil. In a large frying pan, gently fry the aubergine on both sides until it is going golden brown and is becoming soft inside. Do not let it break up. Add more oil to the pan if necessary.
Use a large ovenproof baking dish. Turn your oven on to 180°C
Oil the dish and lay the aubergine in layers, cover with foil and bake for ½ hour. Remove the foil and spread over the sauce (You should use it all). Top with the mozzarella and drizzle with a generous tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Bake it uncovered for a further 15 minutes. Serve garnished with a basil leaves. Serves 4 as a main course or more as an antipasti
A tip: Aubergines are notorious for soaking up oil. If you don’t want this to happen, put the slices in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes, this will not only speed up the cooking but will stop them taking up so much oil
Serve with a good robust red wine like our wine of the week, Groot Constantia Pinotage or a Nebbiolo, e.g. Steenberg or Du Toitskloof, which goes so well with tomato dishes

All content is ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This is one of my favourite dishes! I can't wait to give this recipe a try!