Of course, like any normal person faced with a warm, cheese-filled
anything, I ate one as soon as possible, and it was great. Golden-brown and
crisp on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. However, when I went back
for seconds an hour later, I got to experience these in all their cooled-off
glory.
I’m not sure exactly why, but Italians seem to have a thing
for room temperature fried foods, especially vegetables. I’ve heard Mario
Batali talk about this before, but there seems to be a long tradition of
letting fried stuff cool down first before eating.
Happily, this practice works perfectly for entertaining, since you can bake these off ahead of time, and put them out on a tray anytime. Whether for your Super Bowl party, or not, I hope you give these addictive eggplant sandwiches a try soon. Enjoy!
Happily, this practice works perfectly for entertaining, since you can bake these off ahead of time, and put them out on a tray anytime. Whether for your Super Bowl party, or not, I hope you give these addictive eggplant sandwiches a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for each eggplant sandwich:
2 thick slices eggplant (Note: some people salt the slices
to draw off liquid, which they say is bitter. I’ve done this for other eggplant
recipes, but not for these sandwiches. With the breading and filling, I
actually think the slight bitterness is an advantage.)
3 thin, small slices of salami
1/2 slice provolone cheese
1 generous tablespoon olive oil, divided
seasoned flour as needed (flour with enough fine salt,
pepper, and cayenne so that it tastes “seasoned” when you dip your finger in
it)
beaten eggs, as needed (2 eggs is enough for about 4
sandwiches)
plain breadcrumbs, as needed
1 tsp very finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp very finely grated Parmesan cheese
23 comments:
Ohhh, I can't wait to make these. I'm going to pair them with the cream of mushroom soup that I just made yesterday...mmm. I posted about that already. Once again, thanks Chef John.
To be honest I'm not a big eggplant eater, but these look delicious! Maybe the addition of salami and provolone will change my eggplant eating ways. Thanks for sharing!
Sincerely,
Happy Valley Chow
oh.. that is nice dish chef.. am waiting to try at home
This recipe is a definite delicacy for those who relish Indian cuisine.
I am trying out the shallow fried version of this recipe.
I tried these, and they are a keeper, loved them. Thank you.
I think you were wise not to risk being caught measuring a tapered vegetable like eggplant. Without our pride, who are we really? Love the look of those eggplant sandwiches!
Nicole Hunn
Brilliant idea for nibbles during the game.
First I need to try this great looking recipe. But the next time I'm grilling something, I'd like to omit the flour/egg/breadcrumb step and try cooking these on a hot charcoal grill for a few minutes with a sprinkling of Parmigiano after the first rotate and flip. What do you think?
Brilliant idea chef. Turned these into eggplant Reuben sandwiches. They were a big hit. Thank you for the inspiration!
Did you use EVOO or just regular OO? Would you ever use EVOO when roasting at a temp above smoke point?
Chef,
Sunday, NFC Championship Niners versus little birdies. I'll tell you what I really thought of these sandwiches after the game. I have eaten them already both warm and at room temp and....well my decision on whether these are great or just good rest on the niners kicking some birdie butt today.
I made these today as a light lunch, paired with a simple salad. They turned out pretty good, but I think next time I'll add a few more slices of salami. I know you say not to over fill them. I don't know if mine was just too mildly flavored, but I really couldn't taste it. Luckily I have another eggplant to try again tomorrow!
Wow, can't wait to try this. I love eggplant, and baking instead of frying is a big bonus for me.
just when i'm sick, of course, i'm watching your videos. so this, the goose, pork loin, among others goodies you have on your blog are making me hungry. sigh.
Okay, I admit it... I served them hot. And they were awesome.
That's ok. You are the boss of your eggplant. ;)
Do you/anyone have a suggestion for a vegetarian stuffing? In order to include my veggie friends i'd like to substitute the salami with something aromatic but plant/mushroom-based.. I suspect tofu (smoked or plain) would not be aromatic enough, also i try to avoid it.
Up to now, i mainly used shiitake mushrooms to replace meat when required.
Can you (anyone) suggest a vegetarian replacement for the salami? I am looking for something similarily aromatic here, and from my experience tofu (smoked or plain) would fail to add an interesting note to the taste.
Sidenote: This is my first time commenting here and this is the third edition of this comment, since the first two did not show up. Anyhow, if i overlooked my prior comments and they are in fact postet: Sorry for re-re-reposting.
I'm making these again this weekend with Ham and Swiss. I was going to go Reuben but not the local mart or my main store has corned beef. Seriously, what gives. Anyway, for a vegan replacement I think roasted red peppers and/or tomatoes coupled with some buffalo mozzarella would be great. Perhaps strengthening the seasonings in the flour a bit also. But, there is no Chef next to my name, so let's see what Chef John has to add.
Eggplant sandwiches for a Super Bowl Party?? Ya' got's to be kiddin'. Ya can't be serious!
Eggplant be fine fer' a Baby Shower but never a Super Bowl viewing party for that is one sure way to forfeit one's man-hood card.
C'mon man!
Me on the other hand will be serving up the Cornbeef - Pastrami that you posted up a while back.
Yippers... won't be any beer guzzling fellas checking up on my man-hood card come kickoff time!
Thanks anyways!
I just finished making and eating this. I would definitely make these again. You can get creative with the filling. I love that it's a sandwich with out bread being a key component. Thanks Chef John,
Made first time this weekend. Very good. I hand slicked my salami too thick, but it was still very good.
I probably will make again. Make sure you top eggplant is balanced on top, the melted cheese will cause it to slide off. I put mine next to anther 'eggplant sandwich' to keep it on. I put my leftover in the freezer, plan on thawing --> oven some other day. Probably will retain the good taste.
Made these over the weekend as an appetizer. Cut them in quarters and served with a warm marinara dipping sauce. They were a hit. Thanks again Chef John!
Made these tonight and they looked exactly like Chef's pictures! Hubby does not like eggplant, so I opted to salt and drain in order to avoid any chance of that eggplant tingle. Filled them with sauteed ground Italian sausage and chopped mushrooms with ground up hard cheeses. I had leftover bread crumbs with ground up pistachio nuts from another meal, so I used that. Served with a chunky marinara and field green salad. Absolutely delicious and hubby ate two! He said he actually liked them. These might be my new go-to hors d'oeuvres for upcoming holiday parties. Next batch - spicy soppressata!
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