Eggplant with Red Pepper Sauce
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Cook Time
50 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
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Course
Side Dish, Main Course
Eggplant with Red Pepper Sauce
Description
This recipe for Eggplant with Red Pepper Sauce begins by slicing eggplant into thirds-of-an-inch rounds. The slices are salted and left to 'sweat' for 45 minutes; this removes excess moisture and bitterness, and helps decrease oil uptake during frying. After patting dry, the eggplant is fried in enough hot oil to cover the pan bottom, approximately two minutes per side, until golden and tender. Care should be taken due to oil splatter during frying.
The accompanying red pepper sauce is prepared by grating red bell peppers and jalapeno pepper, which are combined with garlic, vinegar, olive oil, water, sugar, salt, and black pepper. The result is a sauce balanced between spicy heat and sweet acidity. Optionally, freshly grated Parmesan cheese can be added to enrich the sauce with a salty depth. This sauce pairs well with the fried eggplant, offering a flavorful and textured contrast.
This dish is suitable as a side or a vegetable dish on its own. The preparation technique reduces oil absorbance of eggplant, making the final dish less greasy while retaining rich flavors. The combination of the savory, tender eggplant with the tangy, spicy red pepper sauce creates an appealing mixture of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
- 2 eggplant large or 4 small, at room temperature
- 3 bell pepper red
- 1 jalapeno pepper or any hot pepper
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil plus more for frying
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp salt plus more for sprinkling over eggplant.
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese optional, freshly grated
Instructions
How To Prepare and Cook Eggplant
- Slice eggplants into 1/3″ thick rounds and sprinkle salt on both sides. Let them sit on the counter for 45 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. The longer you "sweat" the eggplant, the less oil it soaks up while cooking which is important because this dish is a bit on the oily side. While the eggplant is "sweating" on the counter, start your sauce (see below)
- Heat a deep, heavy bottomed skillet or a dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, arrange eggplant on the skillet and fry about 2 minutes per side. Caution: wear and apron and your cooking mitts and make sure babies have cleared the area (this is a time of substantial oil fireworks).
- Remove cooked eggplant to a pyrex dish (you may place it on paper towels to soak up excess oil). Add more oil to the skillet between batches as needed.
How to make Red Pepper Sauce
- Grate 3 red bell peppers and 1 jalapeno (use a food processor with a grater attachment if you have one).
- In a medium sauce pan mix grated bell peppers, jalapeño, 5 pressed cloves of garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, and 1/2 cup water . Simmer sauce uncovered for 40 minutes (stirring occasionally). Add more sugar and water to taste in the end.
Assembly and Finishing Touches:
- Add 1/2 eggplant slices to 9×13 or 9×12 casserole dish then top with 1/2 red pepper sauce. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices and pepper sauce.
- Sprinkle the top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and place the dish in the oven on broil for 3 minutes to melt the cheese.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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