As a most-of-the-time vegetarian, I’m well acquainted with all sorts of vegetarian pub fare. It’s usually on steak night and I’ll have the choice between some sort of god-awful enormous mushroom in between bread calling itself a burger, or a very, very soggy eggplant that calls itself Parmigiana, Neither of those are particularly appetitising to me, but at least the eggplant comes with chips.
I think the problem is, in the midst of cooking so many steaks in an evening, the poor eggplant is left to be both over and underdone with a soggy crumb and a raw middle that would make the hosts of the Great British Bake Off cry. Admittedly, doing it yourself at home is a bit of a bother, however it does mean you get actual crunch with your crumb. You can serve it with as many sides and sauces as you like. These eggplants were from the market at Williamstown, served with a spicy tomato sauce and a punchy dijon slaw. It definitely still needs chips on the side.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- Two large eggplants
- 100g of plain flour
- One egg
- 200g of panko breadcrumbs
- 700g tomato passata
- 150ml of cream of your choice
- Two shallots
- One garlic clove
- One tablespoon of chilli flakes
- 25g of parmigiano reggiano
- 50ml of sunflower or vegetable oil.
Method:
- Slice your eggplant into ‘steaks’ about 1-2cm in height.
- Salt and set aside for 10-20 mins, so the salt pulls the moisture from each piece.
- Meanwhile, in a pan on a low heat, add your finely chopped garlic and shallots with olive oil.
- After a few minutes, add the chilli flakes.
- Cook for a few more minutes, or until the garlic starts to brown and the shallots soften, then add your passata.
- Cook for about 10-15 minutes and add your cream, stir to combine.
- Add the grated cheese and leave on the stove until your eggplant is ready.
- Return to your eggplant, using a paper towel to pat each ‘steak’, removing the moisture.
- Pour the flour into a flat bowl or plate and repeat with the panko in another bowl.
- Beat the egg into a third bowl.
- Take each piece of eggplant, coat both sides in flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, pressing them into each ‘steak’.
- Warm up your vegetable or sunflower oil in a pan, and when starting to bubble, add each eggplant steak. It should only take a few minutes on each side to become golden brown.
- Serve each eggplant with a smear of the sauce and you can always top with more cheese or a nice mozzarella. If you’re serving lots of people, pop them in the oven to stay warm and crispy after frying.
