Grilled Steak With Eggplant Caponata Recipe 485

RIB-EYE STEAK WITH CAPONATA

Steps:

• One day before serving, make the caponata: Preheat a grill to medium high. Pierce the eggplant all over with a fork. Grill, turning often, until charred all over and softened, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, coat the bell pepper with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Grill, turning as needed, until charred all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to separate bowls; cover the pepper and let cool.
• Peel the charred skin from the pepper (do not rinse). Cut in half, discard the seeds and finely dice. Remove the skin from the eggplant. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Return the pulp to the bowl and set aside until juicy, about 15 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a cutting board and finely chop; reserve the juices that have collected in the bowl.
• In a medium heavy saucepan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper and saute until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the diced bell pepper, tomato and sugar and saute until the tomato softens, about 3 minutes. Add the olives, capers, raisins and the eggplant and eggplant juices and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and chocolate.
• Reduce the heat to low and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat a grill to medium high and prepare for indirect grilling: For a charcoal grill, bank the hot coals to one side and leave the other half empty. For a gas grill, preheat all the burners, then turn off half the burners and keep the others on medium-high heat.
• Grill the steak: Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Lightly brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on indirect heat (the unlit side of the grill); cover and cook, turning halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 110 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Transfer to direct heat and cook, turning, until the steaks are charred and the thermometer registers 125 degrees F to 130 degrees F for medium-rare doneness, 4 to 6 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
• Stir the parsley and basil into the caponata; season with salt and pepper. Carve the meat from the bones and slice against the grain. Serve with any collected juices and the caponata.

GRILLED CAPONATA

Steps:

• Heat your grill to high. Brush the eggplant, onion slices and tomatoes with olive oil and season each type of vegetable with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Grill the eggplant for 6 to 8 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Grill the onions for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through. Grill the tomatoes for 2 minutes per side until charred and slightly soft. Remove to a cutting board and cut into quarters.
• Remove the vegetables from the grill to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and add the olives, capers, raisins and pine nuts.
• Mix together the garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar and honey in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
• Pour the dressing over the vegetables, add the parsley and stir gently to combine. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.

GRILLED EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Light the grill: Place a chimney starter on the grate of a charcoal grill. Add newspaper in the bottom, then fill the top with charcoal. Light the newspaper; the fire will light the charcoal. When the charcoal is mature with ashed-over gray embers (about 30-45 minutes later), pour the charcoal from the chimney into the bottom of the grill. Set the grill rack aside-you won't need it for this recipe.
• Roast the vegetables and make the vinaigrette: Place the eggplant, leeks, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic scapes directly onto the coals in an even layer. Stand the bunch of spring onions up so the bulbs are in the coals and the stalks are leaning against the side of the grill (this will create a natural handle for easy removal). Cook 10-15 minutes, turning the vegetables once to ensure they char evenly. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: In a mortar, combine the capers, anchovies, shallots, a big pinch of salt, and pepper. Using the pestle, crush and grind the mixture to break it down to a chunky mash. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the vinegar and olive oil to saturate and combine. Season with lots of black pepper. Set aside.
• Finish roasting the vegetables: The vegetables are done when they're charred and soft. The tomatoes will be done first, followed by the leeks, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and spring onions. Remove the tomatoes and add them directly into the vinaigrette; crush them with the back of a spoon to release juices. Chop the onions into fourths, discarding the charred stalks, and add to bowl. Chop the eggplant into chunks, add to bowl, and stir to combine; the eggplant will start to absorb the oil. Add the chopped celery and leaves; then chiffonade all the herbs, add them to the bowl, and stir thoroughly. Chop the zucchini and add to the bowl. Chop the peppers, discarding the seeds but keeping the charred skin, and add to the bowl. Stir while the vegetables are still hot so they will absorb all of the vinaigrette. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
• Assemble the caponata: Cut the bread into big chunks and place on the coals to toast for a few minutes until lightly charred. Cut the mozzarella into rustic pieces (or tear by hand) and place on a serving platter. Arrange the caponata next to the mozzarella, hand-tear the toasted bread, and add it to the platter. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT CAPONATA

Steps:

• Soak currants in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and put aside.
• Brush eggplant and onion slices with olive oil on both sides, using the 1/3 cup oil.
• Grill onion slices over a medium-hot fire until lightly charred but cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. Grill eggplant slices for about 5 minutes on each side, until slices are soft inside and outsides have become slightly charred.
• Remove eggplant and onion slices and cool briefly. Remove outer skin from onion slices.
• Drain tomatoes, reserving juice. In a large bowl mix reserved tomato juice with cocoa powder until cocoa dissolves. Chop tomatoes and add to mixture. Then mix in currants, capers, anchovies, green olives, calamata olives, jalapeno pepper and parsley. Coarsely chop eggplant and onions and fold into tomato mixture. Stir in vinegar and the 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with kosher salt. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.