Stuffed Eggplant-Mushroom Parmesan
With fall in full swing, I’m in an aubergine mood. It’s not only my favorite color (after all, I am an Aquarius) but also one of the most versatile vegetables on the stands right now. The other day, I fell madly in love with some darling baby eggplants at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. There were tiny purple ones the size of your index finger and striped green ones that looked like Christmas ornaments. I stuffed my bags with dozens of them, planning to use them to decorate the table for a dinner party I was giving. They ended up being the talk of the evening. You can see I added some pomegranates and artichokes as well…
The next morning, I pulled all the eggplants out of their vases and turned them into a stuffing for some twee little eggplant boats. They were almost too cute to devour, but this recipe gave them a dignified (and delicious) existence.
The reason many recipes call for salting the eggplant, as I do here, is to drain the bitterness from the seeds. If you have the patience to remove the seeds, there is no need for salting, but count on buying more eggplant because you will lose much of the flesh along with the seeds. If you are serving this dish as a main course (which would surely please any vegetarian), I’d suggest adding a cup of cooked brown rice or barley to the filling before stuffing them to make the dish even more substantial.
Serves 8 as appetizer, 4 as main course
8 small Japanese eggplants (about 6 ounces each)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing
Kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
12 ounces white mushrooms, washed and dried well, stems removed, diced
1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Cut eggplants in halves lengthwise and, using a spoon, carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4-inch around the skin; set aside.
3. Place the eggplant halves on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and brush the exposed halves with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until softened but not charred. Set aside.
3. While the eggplants are baking, prepare the filling: place the eggplant flesh in a colander. Sprinkle with a handful of salt and allow to drain for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, then squeeze out all the moisture; dice roughly.
4. In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot. Add half the minced garlic and the mushrooms, and cook until the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is beginning to brown. Season with Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and reserve.
5. In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add the remaining garlic and diced eggplant. Cook, stirring often, until the eggplant begins to brown.
6. Add the tomato sauce and cook for another few minutes until some of the liquid evaporates.
7. Off heat, stir in the fresh basil and Parmesan cheese (and the cooked brown rice if desired). Fill the eggplant halves with the mixture, mounding in the middle. Sprinkle with grated mozzarella.
8. Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden (turn on the broiler for a minute to speed up the browning if necessary). Serve one or two eggplants per person, garnished with sprigs of fresh basil.
Crispy Parmesan Kale Chips add the perfect crunch to this or any vegetarian dish.
Photo credit: Martha Stewart
