Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Page 55
9. When you take the pan out, run a knife blade around the edge of the torte, loosening it from the sides of the pan, then unlatch the springform hoop and remove it. After 5 or 6 minutes, use a spatula to loosen the torte from the pan’s bottom section and slide it, without turning it over, onto a serving platter. Serve at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
EGGPLANT
When and what to buy Although you can walk into a market almost any time of the year and find eggplant, it never tastes quite so good the rest of the year as it does during its natural season, from mid- to late summer. It is at its best for a not too long period after it has been picked; beyond that, its underlying bitter flavor begins to be more prominent and most eggplant has to be purged of it by steeping in salt (see below). Do not buy eggplant that feels soft and spongy or whose skin is mottled, opaque, or wrinkled. It should feel firm in the hand, and the skin should be glossy, smooth, and intact.
The typical Italian eggplant is long, skinny, and dark purple, but Italians also use globe-like ones as well as the stout, pear-shaped variety prevalent in North America, and white eggplant is not uncommon. All of these can be found at one time or another in many markets, and for most recipes they are interchangeable. White eggplant seems to me to be the most dependable because of its usually mild flavor and firm flesh, and it is the kind I’d choose, if I had a choice. The pale purple Chinese eggplant found in Oriental markets is delicious, but its sweetness seems cloying when it is part of an Italian dish.
Purging eggplant As a preliminary to most recipes, you must purge eggplant of its harshness, which on occasion can be considerable. Proceed thus:
• Cut off its green, spiky top and peel the eggplant. You can omit peeling it if it is the young, skinny Italian variety sometimes known as “baby” eggplant.
• Cut lengthwise into slices about ⅜ inch thick.
• Stand one layer of slices upright against the inside of a pasta colander and sprinkle with salt. Stand another layer of slices against it, sprinkle it with salt, and repeat the procedure until you have salted all the eggplant you are working with.
• Place a deep dish under the colander to collect the drippings and let the eggplant steep under salt for 30 minutes or more.
• Before cooking, pat each slice thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Fried Eggplant
FRIED EGGPLANT slices are not only a delicious appetizer or vegetable dish on their own, but they are the indispensable component of Eggplant Parmesan, of pasta sauces with eggplant, this recipe and this recipe, and of special combinations of vegetables and meat. To fry it so that the eggplant doesn’t become sodden with oil, you must have a lot of very hot oil in the pan.
For 6 to 8 servings as a vegetable side dish or an appetizer
3 to 4½ pounds eggplant
Salt
Vegetable oil
1. Slice the eggplant and steep it in salt as described above.
2. Choose a large frying pan, pour enough oil into it to come 1½ inches up the sides, and turn the heat up to high. When you have dried the eggplant thoroughly with paper towels, test the oil by dipping into it the end of one of the slices. If it sizzles, the oil is ready for frying. Slip as many slices of eggplant into the pan as will fit loosely without overlapping. Cook to a golden brown color on one side, then turn them and do the other side. Do not turn them more than once. When both sides are done, use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack to drain or to a platter lined with paper towels. Repeat the procedure until all the eggplant is done. If you find the oil becoming too hot, reduce the heat slightly, but do not add more oil to the pan.
If serving the eggplant on its own, you can choose to serve it immediately, when still hot, or allow it to cool to room temperature, when it may taste even better. Taste to see if it needs salt. The eggplant may already be salty enough from its preliminary steeping.
Eggplant Parmesan
NEXT TO SPAGHETTI with tomato sauce, this may well have been, for a certain generation or two, the most familiar of Italian dishes. Perhaps some cooks find it too commonplace to attract their serious attention, but at home I have never stopped making it, and I am pleased to see eggplant Parmesan continuing to appear in Italy, not just in pizza parlors, but even in rather fancy restaurants. No dish has ever been devised that tastes more satisfyingly of summer, and its popularity will no doubt endure long after many of the newer arrivals on the Italian food scene have had their day.
For 6 servings
3 pounds eggplant
Vegetable oil
Flour spread on a plate
2 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, well drained and chopped coarse
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt
¾ pound mozzarella, preferably buffalo-milk mozzarella
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
An oven-to-table baking dish, approximately 11 inches by
7 inches or its equivalent
Butter for smearing and dotting the dish
½ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1. Slice the eggplant and steep it in salt, as described.
2. Choose a large frying pan, pour enough oil into it to come 1½ inches up the sides, and turn the heat up to high. When you have dried the eggplant thoroughly with paper towels, dredge the slices in the flour, coating them on both sides. Do only a few slices at a time at the moment you are ready to fry them, otherwise the flour coating will become soggy. After coating with flour, fry the eggplant, following the method described in the basic recipe.
3. Put the tomatoes and olive oil in another skillet, turn the heat on to medium high, add salt, stir, and cook the tomato down until it is reduced by half.
4. Preheat oven to 400°.
5. Cut the mozzarella into the thinnest possible slices. Wash the basil, and tear each leaf into two or more pieces.
6. Smear the bottom and sides of the baking dish with butter. Put in enough fried eggplant slices to line the bottom of the dish in a single layer, spread some of the cooked tomato over them, cover with a layer of mozzarella, sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan, distribute a few pieces of basil over it, and top with another layer of fried eggplant. Repeat the procedure, ending with a layer of eggplant on top. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and place the dish in the upper third of the preheated oven.
7. Occasionally eggplant Parmesan throws off more liquid as it bakes than you want in the pan. Check after it has been in the oven for 20 minutes by pressing down the layered eggplant with the back of a spoon, and draw off any excess liquid you may find. Cook for another 15 minutes, and after taking it out allow it to settle for several minutes before bringing it to the table.
Ahead-of-time note Eggplant Parmesan tastes best shortly after it has been made, but if you must, you can complete it from several hours to 2 or 3 days in advance. Refrigerate under plastic wrap when cool. Warm it up on the topmost rack of a preheated 400° oven.
Breaded Eggplant Cutlets
For 4 to 6 servings
A 1¼- to 1½-pound eggplant
Salt
1 egg
2 cups unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted, spread on a plate
Vegetable oil
1. Trim and peel the eggplant, cut it lengthwise into ⅛-inch-thick slices, and steep it in salt, as described.
2. Lightly beat the egg in a deep plate or small bowl.
3. When the eggplant slices have finished steeping, pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. Dip each slice in the beaten egg, letting excess egg flow back into the dish, then turn it in the bread crumbs, coating both sides. Press the bread crumbs onto each slice with the flat of your hand until your hand feels dry and the crumbs are sticking firmly to the surface of the eggplant.
4. Pour enough oil into a frying pan to come 1½ inches up the sides and turn the heat on to medium high. When you think the oil is quite hot, test it by dipping into it the end of one of the slices. If it sizzles, the oil is ready fo
r frying. Slip as many slices of eggplant into the pan as will fit loosely without overlapping. Cook until the eggplant forms a crisp, golden brown crust on one side, then turn it and do the other side. When both sides are done, use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack to drain or to a platter lined with paper towels. Repeat the procedure until all the eggplant is done. Sprinkle with salt and serve at once.
Eggplant Cubes, Al Funghetto
WHEN YOU SEE it listed on Italian menus as al funghetto, it means that the eggplant is cooked in olive oil with garlic and parsley, in an adaptation of the procedure traditionally associated with the cooking of mushrooms. At first, because eggplant has the structure of a sponge, you will see it soak up most of the oil. You mustn’t be alarmed; as you continue cooking, the heat causes the spongy structure to cave in and release all the oil. Never add oil while cooking; simply make sure you have enough at the start.
For 6 servings
About 3 pounds eggplant
Salt
1 or 2 garlic cloves, lightly mashed with a knife handle and peeled
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons parsley chopped very fine
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Trim and peel the eggplant, and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Put the cubes in a pasta colander, sprinkle liberally with salt, toss to distribute the salt evenly, and set over a deep dish. Let steep for 1 hour, then take the eggplant pieces out of the colander and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.
2. Put the garlic and olive oil in a skillet or saute pan, and turn on the heat to medium. Cook the garlic, stirring, until it becomes colored a pale gold. Remove it, add the eggplant, and turn the heat up to medium high. At first, when the eggplant soaks up all the oil, turn it frequently. When the heat causes it to discharge the oil, lower the flame to medium again. When the eggplant has cooked for about 15 minutes, add the parsley and pepper. Toss thoroughly and continue to cook another 20 minutes or so, until the eggplant feels very tender when prodded with a fork. Taste and correct for salt. Transfer to a serving platter, using a slotted spoon or spatula.
Sautéed Baby Eggplant Halves with Mozzarella
THE MOST SUITABLE eggplants for this recipe are the sweet, skinny ones not much larger than zucchini, but not miniature. They may be either the purple or white variety.
For 8 servings
8 thin, long “baby” eggplants
2 teaspoons garlic chopped very fine
2 tablespoons parsley chopped very fine
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
¼ cup unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ pound mozzarella, preferably buffalo-milk mozzarella, sliced no thicker than ¼ inch
1. Trim the eggplants’ green tops away, wash them in cold water, and split them lengthwise in two. Score the eggplant flesh in a cross-hatched pattern, cutting it deeply, while being careful not to pierce the skin.
2. Choose a saute pan large enough to accommodate all the eggplant halves without overlapping. If you need 2 pans, increase the olive oil to ½ cup. Place the eggplants in the pan, skin side down, cross-hatched side facing up.
3. Put the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl and mix well to combine the ingredients uniformly. Spoon the mixture over the eggplant halves, pressing it into and in between the cuts.
4. Pour the remaining olive oil in a thin stream, partly over the eggplants, partly directly into the pan. Cover, turn on the heat to medium low, and cook until the eggplant feels very tender when prodded with a fork, 20 or more minutes. Blanket each eggplant half with a layer of sliced mozzarella, turn up the heat to medium, cover the pan again, and cook until the mozzarella has melted.
Eggplant Patties with Parsley, Garlic, and Parmesan
THE TENDER FLESH of baked eggplant is chopped and mixed with bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, egg, and Parmesan to form patties. They are floured and browned in hot oil, and they taste very, very good.
For 4 to 6 servings
About 2 pounds eggplant
⅓ cup unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted
3 tablespoons parsley chopped very fine
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped very fine
1 egg
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Vegetable oil
Flour, spread on a plate
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. When the oven is hot, wash the eggplants, keeping them whole and untrimmed. Place them on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven, with a baking pan on a lower rack to collect any drippings. Bake until tender, when a toothpick will penetrate them without resistance, about 40 minutes, depending on their size.
3. Take the eggplants out of the oven and as soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel them, and cut them into several large pieces. Put the pieces in a pasta colander set over a deep dish. The eggplant should shed most of its liquid, a process that should take about 15 minutes and one which you can encourage by gently squeezing the pieces.
4. Chop the eggplant flesh very fine and combine it in a bowl with the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, egg, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly to obtain a uniform blend of ingredients. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Shape the mixture with your hands into a number of patties about 2 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick, spreading them out on the counter or on a platter.
5. Pour enough vegetable oil into a frying pan to come ½ inch up the sides, and turn on the heat to high. When the oil is very hot, turn the patties on both sides in the flour, and slip them into the pan. Do not put in any more at one time than will fit loosely, without crowding the pan. When they have formed a nice dark crust on one side, turn them, do the other side, then use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack to drain or to a platter lined with paper towels. Taste to correct for salt. Serve either hot or lukewarm.
Variation 1, with Onion and Tomatoes
The fried patties made using the basic recipe above
1½ cups onion sliced very fine
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Choose a saute pan that can subsequently contain all the patties snugly, but without overlapping. Put in the onion and the olive oil, and turn on the heat to medium low. Cook the onion, stirring, until it becomes colored a deep gold, then add the chopped tomatoes. Continue to cook until the oil floats free from the tomatoes, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper, and stir thoroughly.
2. Add the fried eggplant patties to the pan. Turn them a few times in the onion and tomato sauce, and when they are completely reheated through and through, transfer the entire contents of the pan to a warm platter and serve at once.
Variation 2, Baked with Mozzarella
The fried patties made using the basic recipe above
An oven-to-table baking dish
Butter for greasing the baking dish
Mozzarella, preferably buffalo-milk mozzarella, cut into as many ¼-inch slices as there are eggplant patties to cover
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Choose a baking dish that can accommodate all the patties without overlapping, smear it with butter, and put in the fried eggplant patties. Cover each patty with a slice of mozzarella.
3. Place the dish on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven. When the mozzarella melts, take the dish out of the oven and bring to the table promptly.
Baked Escarole Torta
IN ITALIAN this might be called a pizza—pizza di scarola—but torta, “pie,” is a more accurate name for it.
Escarole is related to chicory, with crisp, open, wavy leaves that form a pale green at th
eir ruffled tips and fade to a creamy white at the base. While rather bland when raw, it acquires an appealingly tart, earthy taste cooked. (See this soup.) In the filling for this torta, escarole is sautéed with olive oil, garlic, olives, and capers, then anchovies and pine nuts are added. The shell is a simplified, savory bread dough that goes through one rising. The traditional shortening for the dough is lard, which produces the finest texture, but if the choice of lard causes concern, you can substitute olive oil. The 10-inch pan I like to use yields a torta about 2 inches deep.
For 8 servings
FOR THE DOUGH
2⅔ cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
⅓ package active dry yeast, dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons lard, softened well at room temperature, OR 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE FILLING
3 pounds fresh escarole
Salt
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
3 tablespoons capers, soaked and rinsed if packed in salt, drained if in vinegar
10 black, round Greek olives, pitted and each cut into 4 pieces
7 flat anchovy fillets (preferably the ones prepared at home), cut into ½-inch pieces