Baked Melitzanes Eggplants Saganaki Recipes

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES - MELITZANES IMAM

Steps:

• Remove the tops and bottoms of the eggplants. Cut them in half lengthwise to create eggplant boats.
• Place the eggplants in a big bowl with cold water and soak them for 30 minutes. You may place a plate on top to weigh them down. The soaking helps remove the bitter flavor from eggplants skin.
• Preheat oven to 230°C / 446°F.
• Drain the eggplants and place in a casserole dish. Score them with a knife creating deep criss-cross lines to help the eggplants bake well in the center. Take the 1 cup of olive oil and using a spoon, add spoonfuls of the oil on each eggplant.
• Season the eggplants with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Bake for 30 minutes until nicely roasted on top. Meanwhile, start preparing the tomato sauce.
• Heat the splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and the onion slices and cook until completely softened.
• Stir in the tomatoes and season with some kosher salt, ground pepper, and ground nutmeg. Cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally, until tomatoes start to drain and become mushy. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes more stirring occasionally.
• Using a fork press the eggplants a bit to make some space for the sauce to sit on. Add spoonfuls of the sauce on the eggplant boats. Reduce heat to 160°C / 320°F and slow-cook the eggplants for about 35 minutes. Then raise the temperature again to 200°C / 392°F and roast the eggplants for about 10-15 minutes more.
• Serve with chopped fresh parsley on top.

BAKED MELITZANES (EGGPLANTS) SAGANAKI

Steps:

• Wash the eggplants and drain well.
• Heat a couple tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.
• Cut the first eggplant into 1 cm round slices and fry them on both sides until golden. (Do not cut all of them all at once as they will oxidize (brown).
• Remove on kitchen paper.
• Repeat with the second and third, adding more olive oil.
• Heat the remaining olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent.
• Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
• Add the tomato, fresh basil, salt and pepper and herbs.
• Cook for 6 - 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid evaporates.
• Season the eggplants with salt and pepper and layer them in six ovenproof ceramic pots of 13 cm diametre.
• Add 1/6 of the sauce and spread it on top of the eggplants.
• Add any leftover slices of eggplants on top.
• Crumble feta.
• Add 1/6 of the feta (25 grams) on top of the sauce and finally add the grated kasseri, to cover the surface.
• At this stage you can wrap them in cling film and freeze to cook whenever you like.
• Preheat oven to 180oC and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden on top.