This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks: The complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook by Jack Bishop.
Many recipes start by removing the flesh and then combining the ingredients before stuffing them back into the shell. Here, the eggplant is slashed and the breadcrumb-mixture is stuffed into it smileys/smile.gif
2 large eggplants (about 2 pounds)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated zest and
3 tablespoons juice from one large lemon
1/4 cup minced, fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or oregano leaves
20 large green olives, pitted and minced
2 teaspoons minced, drained and rinsed capers
2-3 tablespoons extra virgine oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Trim the green tops from the eggplants. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a small, sharp knife to make deep slashes across the flesh of each half, starting about 1/2 inch in from 1 side and ending about 1/2 inch from the other side.
Make the slashes fairly deep but do not puncture the skin. Make another slash down the center from the stem end almost to the base. Sprinke with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice, parsley, thyme or oregano, olives and capers in a small bowl. Add as much of the oil as needed to work the mixture into a wet paste with your hands.
Use your fingers to open the slashes in the eggplant and fill them with the stuffing. Pat the remaining stuffing over the eggplant to cover them completely.
(** I never manage to fill the slashes with much stuffing, so most of it ends up on top. I think we have smaller eggplants here because we are so far up north, but my point is: placing most of the stuffing on top works too smileys/smile.gif )
Bake until the eggplants are tender and the bread-crumb mixture is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
I usually serve the stuffed eggplants with a green salad.
Many recipes start by removing the flesh and then combining the ingredients before stuffing them back into the shell. Here, the eggplant is slashed and the breadcrumb-mixture is stuffed into it smileys/smile.gif
2 large eggplants (about 2 pounds)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated zest and
3 tablespoons juice from one large lemon
1/4 cup minced, fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or oregano leaves
20 large green olives, pitted and minced
2 teaspoons minced, drained and rinsed capers
2-3 tablespoons extra virgine oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Trim the green tops from the eggplants. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a small, sharp knife to make deep slashes across the flesh of each half, starting about 1/2 inch in from 1 side and ending about 1/2 inch from the other side.
Make the slashes fairly deep but do not puncture the skin. Make another slash down the center from the stem end almost to the base. Sprinke with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice, parsley, thyme or oregano, olives and capers in a small bowl. Add as much of the oil as needed to work the mixture into a wet paste with your hands.
Use your fingers to open the slashes in the eggplant and fill them with the stuffing. Pat the remaining stuffing over the eggplant to cover them completely.
(** I never manage to fill the slashes with much stuffing, so most of it ends up on top. I think we have smaller eggplants here because we are so far up north, but my point is: placing most of the stuffing on top works too smileys/smile.gif )
Bake until the eggplants are tender and the bread-crumb mixture is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
I usually serve the stuffed eggplants with a green salad.