Eggplant Crostini Recipes

EGGPLANT CAPONATA (SICILIAN VERSION)

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt and place in a colander set over a bowl. Let sit, about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet. Add eggplant and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in celery mixture, tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until caponata is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Season caponata with vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA CROSTINI

Steps:

• Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the onion, and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Wash skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and allow to heat until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, add a single layer of eggplant, and toss to coat in oil. Fry, stirring frequently, until tender and evenly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Wash skillet and return to medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and tomatoes. Sauté until tomatoes are tender but have not lost their shape, and almost all the liquid has evaporated.
• In a large bowl, combine eggplant, onion mixture, tomatoes, raisins and capers. Toss gently to mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve, toast the sliced bread, and top with a large spoonful of the caponata mixture. Sprinkle with a few drops of vinegar, and garnish with the basil chiffonade, and a few grains of flaky sea salt.

GRILLED EGGPLANT AND RICOTTA CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat grill or broiler.
• Brush each eggplant slice generously with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
• Place the slices on the preheated grill. Cook on both sides until the eggplant is soft and pliable and has a nice char. Remove from grill and let cool. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, coarsely chop and reserve in a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta, vinegar, oregano, Parmigiano and crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Season with salt and reserve.
• While the grill is still hot, grill the slices of bread on each side. When the bread comes off the grill rub each piece with a raw garlic clove and brush lightly with olive oil.
• Top each piece of bread with the grilled eggplant mixture.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA CROSTINI

Steps:

• In a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, raisins, pine nuts, garlic, and red-pepper flakes; cook stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, cocoa powder, and sugar; cook, stirring, until tomato paste is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggplant, vinegar, and 1/3 cup water.
• Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender and mixture is thick, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and more sugar (up to 1 tablespoon), as desired.
• Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides bread with olive oil. Grill, turning once, until toasted and grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side.
• Top grilled bread with caponata; garnish with basil leaves. Caponata can be refrigerated up to 5 days in an airtight container; let cool completely before storing.

EGGPLANT CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the eggplant and garlic on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool. Halve the eggplants and scrape the flesh into a bowl; discard the peel.
• Squeeze the softened garlic cloves into the bowl. Stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on grilled bread and serve.