Page 50 - Flathead Beacon // 5.25.16

SIDE DISH SARA MOULTON GRILLED EGGPLANT
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PARMIGIANA
50
MAY 25, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
THIS LITTLE GEM COMBINES MY love of grilling with my endless search for new summer vegetar- ian entrees. Turns out that eggplant par- migiana, that staple of Italian cuisine, is a wonderful candidate for the grill, cook- ing up quickly and cleanly. And — bonus! — grilling this dish not only requires less oil than the traditional recipe, it ends up imparting a smokiness it could never claim before.
These days you can buy eggplants in any size, but for this recipe you want one of those big old-fashioned massive beau- ties. At the supermarket, make sure that your eggplant’s skin is smooth and its esh is rm. That’s how you’ll know it’s fresh. An eggplant with bruised skin and soft esh is an older eggplant, and prob- ably bitter, too.
You want to cut the eggplant into sturdy rounds about 3/4 inch thick. This allows each slice to hold its shape during the cooking process. A thinner slice would buckle under the weight of the tomatoes and the crumbs. The slices also are salted, which deeply seasons the eggplant and eliminates excess water, amping up the taste. The slices are grilled over direct heat so they pick up some of that lovely char. Once the other ingre- dients are added, you nish the cooking using indirect heat.
Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana
Start to nish: 1 hour
Servings: 4
1 large eggplant (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds) Kosher salt
3/4 pound plum or small round
tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus
extra for brushing on the eggplant 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper akes
(optional)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
cheese
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely
grated
Fresh basil, shredded, to garnish
Peel the eggplant, then slice it cross- wise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Salt both sides of each slice, then set the slices aside for 45 minutes. Slice the tomatoes crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Salt both sides of each slice and transfer the slices to a rack to drain until the egg- plant is ready.
Prepare a grill for medium heat, direct and indirect cooking. For a charcoal grill, this means banking the hot coals to one side of the grill. For a gas grill, this means turning o one or more burners to create a cooler side.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-low, combine the 2 table- spoons of oil and garlic. Cook, stirring, until quite fragrant. Add the red pepper akes, if using, and panko. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the crumbs turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the Parmesan cheese, then set aside.
Pat the eggplant slices dry and brush one side of each slice with olive oil. Add to the grill and cook over the hotter side until the slices are nicely browned on the bottoms, 5 to 6 minutes. Brush the top sides with more oil, turn the slices over and grill until browned on the second side, about another 5 minutes. While the eggplant is grilling, pat dry the tomato slices.
Transfer the eggplant slices to the cooler side of the grill, then top each slice with enough tomato slices to just cover the top. Top the tomatoes with 2 table- spoons of the panko mixture, then divide the cheese evenly among the slices. Cover the grill and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the mozzarella is melted. Transfer 2 slices to each of 4 plates and top each portion with some of the basil.
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Sara Moulton is the host of public television’s “Sara’s Weeknight Meals.” She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including “Cooking Live.”