Mary and Brian's Recipes

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
Category Italian, Barbecue
Events:
Ingredients
2 medium sized eggplants 1 large portobello mushroom (optional) 4 tablespoons olive oil fresh oregano, chopped fresh basil, chopped dry mix (4 parts oregano, 4 parts basil, 1 part black pepper, 1 part salt) 1 cup marinara sauce or canned tomato sauce 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1/4 cup fresh mozzarella Sauce 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes (or 28 oz can crushed) 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil 1 small onion, sliced in half 1 carrot, peeled 1 stalk celery, leaves removed 2 garlic cloves 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
Sauce (or use your own or a jar) 1) Preheat the grill to medium hot and when it is ready, clean the grates thoroughly. I know you don't clean the grates most of the time, but clean grates are very important for this recipe. Take the tomatoes and slice them in half. Roll a paper towel into a tight cigar and dip it into cheap vegetable oil. Swab the grill grates with the oil so the tomatoes won't stick. Put them on the grates, cut end down, for about 10 minutes or until they start to get some dark grill marks. Then roll them over and grill the skin side. Don't worry if they blacken a bit on the skin side. Remove them and let them cool until you can handle them and then peel off the skins. Chop them into 1/4" chunks. While the tomatoes are cooking, put the onion, carrot, and celery on the grill and roll them around until well marked. Remove them and when cool, chop them fine. 2) In a 2 quart pot or frying pan warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add everything except the tomatoes and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick. 3) Add the tomatoes, turn the heat to medium low, and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour. If it gets too thick add a splash of red wine. If it gets thick again, add water. 4) Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasonings. If you like, a dollop of balsamic vinegar might be nice. You're done. The result is lumpy with those flavorful fire roasted veggies, and that's just the way it is. If you don't like that, you can whup it up in a blender or food processor or with a stick blender. Eggplant 1) Preheat the grill to medium heat. 2) Skin the eggplant and slice the tubes into 1/2" thick disks. Place on a rack, lightly salt both sides, let stand 20 minutes and then pat dry with a paper towel. Brush both sides with olive oil (you can use spicey oil if you want) and lightly coat with the dry mix seasoning. If you are using mushroom oil both sides and season as well. 3) Grill the mushroom and eggplant over medium direct heat until they lightly brown on one side, flip and do the other side and then remove from the grill. Leave the grill running. 4) In a metal baking pan, spread the eggplants out on the bottom. They can overlap if necessary. Cut the mushroom (if using) into bite-size chunks and scatter them on top of the slices. Then spoon the tomato sauce on making sure each slice of eggplant is well covered, add the fresh herbs. Next goes the Parmigiano-Reggiano, then the mozzarella. 5) Put the pan on the grill in the indirect heat zone and close the lid. Depending on your grill it will take about 20 minutes for the cheeses to melt. You can wait until it begins to brown slightly, but fresh mozz is slow to brown.
Rating: Excellent