Sicilian Eggplant 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.

STUFFED SICILIAN EGGPLANT RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Cut each eggplant in half. Once halved, carefully hollow out each eggplant by slicing the interior flesh of the eggplant into medium-sized cubes.
• Once cubed, use a spoon to gently remove each cube - then use the spoon to hollow out the remainder of the eggplant. (Tip: Ensure you hollow out the interior of each eggplant, without slicing off the top or bottom of the eggplant itself. You essentially want to make a boat out of your eggplant).
• Place the removed flesh of the eggplant into a food processor. Then, add each ingredient into the food processor with the removed eggplant flesh.
• Process all ingredients into a stuffing consistency, which generally requires about 5-8 medium/long pulses (make sure you still have texture: don't process into a paste).
• Add 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil to a cast-iron skillet or frying span. Heat on medium and add the stuffing from the food processor to the pan.
• Spoon the stuffing you've made in the food processor into the frying pan and saute on a medium-low flame for approximately 8-10 minutes. Once this is done cooking, allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Place your hollowed out eggplant onto a baking sheet that has been lightly greased with extra virgin olive oil. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Once seasoned, spoon the finished stuffing into each eggplant, until full but not overflowing. Top each eggplant with shredded mozzarella and 2 tbsp of marinara sauce.
• Next, add 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken stock and 2 heaping tbsp of Pinot Grigio to the base of the pan, underneath each eggplant.
• Place into a 425 °F for 25-30 Minutes or until the eggplants have cooked down and develop a well-roasted skin.
• When nearly finished, place the eggplants under a low broiler for 10 minutes, until golden-brown and bubbly.
• Garnish with a little more fresh basil, parsley and grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
• Enjoy!

SICILIAN STYLE SPAGHETTI AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds. Toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil and some salt and pepper. Grill them until marks have formed and they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place them onto a paper towel lined platter. Scatter over 2 cloves of sliced garlic, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice, put on a few torn basil leaves, and season it all with salt and pepper. Set aside while you make the sauce.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chile, garlic, olives and a few hand-torn basil leaves. Carefully add the tomatoes and a pinch of sugar; cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Add the capers, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the spaghetti. Stir to make sure the pasta doesn't stick. Cover and return to a boil. Remove cover and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the spaghetti is al dente. Drain and add the spaghetti to the tomato sauce. Add the cheese and mix well. Pile onto a platter and top it with the eggplant slices. Garnish with more basil leaves.

SICILIAN STUFFED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Halve the eggplants lengthwise. Run a small sharp knife 1/2 inch in from the edges of the cut side of each eggplant. Scoop out the insides of the eggplants with a spoon and reserve, leaving 1/2 inch thick shells. Sprinkle 1 teaspoons salt into the eggplant shells and invert on paper towels while preparing the filling.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make the filling: Coarsely chop the reserved eggplant. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chopped eggplant and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients with the remaining salt. Place the eggplant shells, cut side up, in a 13x9 inch baking dish. Mound the filling in each shell. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoons of oil. Pour water into the pan to a depth of 1/2 inch. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until the edges of the eggplant are tender and the bread crumbs are very lightly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

SICILIAN FRIED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch thick pieces Liberally salt both sides with sea salt then place in a strainer in the sink. Let sit for 30 minutes. Take about 6 slices at a time and rinse eggplant under running water. Squeeze out excess water firmly. Repeat the "rinse and squeeze". In a deep pan fill about 1/2 inch of olive oil - heat on med-hi. Drop in eggplant slices to create 1 layer in pan. Fry until beginning to brown. Let cool on paper towel to absorb excess oil.