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Melanzane With Butter Lettuce Salad And Gremolata
Recipe by Elise Pulbrook
Devour Nonna's tender and moreish Melanzane, perfect for the eggplant lovers!
- Steps
- Ingredients
Ingredients
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Melanzane
Butter Lettuce with Gremolata Dressing
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Steps
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- For the Fresh Tomato Sauce, cut crosses into the bases of the tomatoes and blanch briefly in boiling water. Remove the skins and seeds of the tomatoes, then squeeze the flesh into a pulp into a bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and basil and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato pulp and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Add a little boiling water if needed. Season to taste then discard the garlic and basil.
- For the Melanzana, peel and slice the eggplants and potatoes into 5mm slices. Sprinkle eggplant lightly with salt.
- Heat light olive oil in a deep pan and when hot, cook the potato slices until the potato is cooked through but not crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Season lightly.
- Add oil to the pan. Add eggplant slices in batches and cook until just tender and just starting to brown at the edges. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel.
- Spoon some fresh sauce into the base of a 20cm square baking dish. Layer eggplant, tomato sauce, pecorino and mozzarella. Add a layer of fried potato slices, sauce and cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients until all used, finishing with a layer of eggplant, cheese then breadcrumbs. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Bake until golden brown and crispy on top, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
- For the Gremolata, place ingredients (except for the lemon juice and olive oil) onto a chopping board and run a knife through until chopped but not minced.
- Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon juice and olive oil, to taste.
- Wash and dry your butter lettuce and set aside, covered, in the fridge until needed.
- Serve Melanzana with Gremolata dressed butter lettuce on the side, with extra Gremolata on the side.
