Marinated Eggplant
Submitted by sblue100
Marinated eggplant, an Italian antipasto of golden-fried eggplant slices layered with garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, and red wine vinegar. Keeps up to two weeks in the fridge.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
2 daysMarinated eggplant is a southern Italian antipasto that rewards patience. Eggplant slices get salted, floured, egg-dipped, and pan-fried, then layered in a bowl with a warm garlic-vinegar-herb marinade and left to steep for at least two hours before serving.
Salting the eggplant is the step that makes or breaks this. Raw eggplant holds a ton of water and a touch of bitterness. A 10-minute salt cure pulls both out, collapses the cell structure, and lets the marinade penetrate deep rather than bouncing off the surface.
The marinade gets warmed rather than used cold. Sauteing the garlic in olive oil first mellows its bite, and simmering bay leaves and rosemary in the vinegar mixture bruises the herbs into releasing their oils. The “turn the covered bowl upside down” trick is the old-school Italian move that ensures every slice ends up bathed.
Pro Tips
- Use a firm, glossy medium eggplant. Big or overripe eggplants have more seeds and more bitterness.
- Fry in small batches so the oil stays screaming hot. Crowded slices get greasy.
- The dish holds 2 days at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and it tastes better after 24 hours.
- Serve at room temperature on crusty bread or alongside cured meats as antipasto.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the eggplant into slices of about ¾ inch thick.
Arrange them on a dishtowel, side by side, and sprinkle them with salt.
Let them “rest” for about 10 minutes (the salt helps to leach out the water and prepare the surface of the eggplant to accept the coatings and marinade) and then wipe them dry.
Set them aside for later.
In a bowl, beat the eggs with the parsley, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
Heat 2 cups of oil in a deep skillet.
Flour the eggplant slices lightly, then dip them in the egg wash.
Sauté the individual slices in hot oil until golden brown (about 1 minute each side) then place them on an absorbent towel to cool.
Meanwhile, pour the remaining oil into a heavy saucepan with the crushed garlic.
Sauté the garlic until it’s golden.
Remove the heavy saucepan from the heat and add vinegar.
Return to heat and add bay leaves, rosemary, and pepper to taste, then simmer for 1 minute.
Set aside.
In a bowl with a lid, assemble one layer of eggplant then sprinkle liberally with marinade.
Add another layer of eggplant and sprinkle with marinade.
Continue the process until all of the eggplant is used then pour the remaining marinade over the whole dish.
Cover, then turn upside down to mix in the marinade.
Let this stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
(It will hold for 2 days at room temperature or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator)
Unmold onto a serving plate and serve at room temperature.
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