#instagrub: Eggplant Parmesan with Homemade Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Creamy Burrata Cheese, Fresh Basil, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

Eggplant Parmesan with Homemade Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Creamy Burrata Cheese, Fresh Basil, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

Tag team, back againnnnnn. It's our official first recipe of the new year!! Hip-hip-hooYAY. Anyway, it's been pretty dreary here in Atlanta. Not only has it been 20-30 degrees outside, but it's raining too, which makes it 10x worse. But with all things in this world, you gotta find that silver lining. With cold weather comes sitting by the fire, wearing cozy sweaters, and eating hearty, warm + toasty, food. That means, we will be eating a-shit-ton of casseroles, soups, pot roast, and roasted winter vegetables. One of those go-to dishes for us is Eggplant Parmesan. Because, lez'be'honest, crispy fried food + melty cheese are practically synonymous with comfort. And as always, I had to give this Italian classic a little oomph. Slices of eggplant are coated into crunchy herbed panko breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown + crispy on the outside and have reached a soft eggplant velvet on the inside. I don't know about you, but I'm jealous of the eggplant, I want to be velvet on the inside... amirite? Instead of the traditional marinara that is thinner and heavy on the tomato paste flavor, I decided to make a tomato sauce by browning a heap of butter until nutty in fragrance, followed by throwing in a mound of baby heirloom tomatoes, so that they can caramelize until they burst. This fresh brown butter-heirloom tomato sauce is oh-so-simple, yet surprisingly equal in flavor to any other sauce I've ever made. More importantly, it thickens to almost a tomato jam-like consistency, which I think lends to a way better Eggplant Parmesan because it maintains great layers and also does not make the fried eggplant any less crispy. That's called a "win-win" y'all. Arguably the best part of any dish is the cheese component. And in this case, it is amped up with something that is better than fresh mozzarella. What could be better than that, you might ask... Burrata. Yes, mozzarella's cream filled cousin is already luscious and dream-worthy on its' own, so why not use it this casserole-style Eggplant Parmesan? Finally, you have to use whole fresh basil leaves in between the other hearty layers, which gives it an extra delightful note that you cannot, will not, and should not miss. After the dish has baked, we like to spoon servings onto our dinner plates with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, followed by a mound of freshly grated Parmesan cheese + a garnish of minced basil!! So you see y'all, as long as it is cold outside, we get to enjoy the little things in life, like this decadent Eggplant Parmesan. Gather 'round your honey, close friends, and family because this is something that you should be required to make if the temperature outside drops below freezing. It is that good!! Enjoy :)

For the Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter

4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic (2 minced + 2 thinly sliced)

½C Vidalia Onion, Finely Chopped

4C Baby Heirloom Tomatoes

2T Balsamic Vinegar

¼t Dried Oregano

1t Dried Red Pepper Flakes (or less if you don’t want it that spicy)

¾C Fresh Basil, Minced

Pinch of Sugar (or to your desired liking)

Fleur de Sel & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Breaded Eggplant:

1 Large Eggplant, Sliced ¼inch Thick Slices

2T Kosher Salt

½C AP Flour

1 Beaten Egg + ¼C Buttermilk 

Herbed Italian Breadcrumbs (you can use traditional or panko style)

Canola Oil, For Frying

For the Eggplant Parmesan:

Prepared Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Room Temperature

Breaded Eggplant Slices (already fried until crispy & golden brown)

2 Balls of Creamy Burrata Cheese, Cut into Slices

Fresh Basil (whole, large leaves)

4T Freshly Grated Parmesan

A Sprinkling of Dried Red Pepper Flakes

Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with Pam. Also, for a helpful hint, it is important that you make sure that you have an equal amount of slices of the eggplant + burrata cheese, as well as that many large fresh basil leaves.

2. For the Brown Butter-Heirloom Tomato Sauce: In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the diced onions + the fresh garlic (both minced and sliced) and cook until translucent. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften and burst and the butter turns brown, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil. Season the sauce with fleur de sel, fresh cracked pepper, and sugar to taste.

3. For the Breaded Eggplant: Cut the eggplant in ¼inch slices and toss the 2T of kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer in a colander for 45 minutes to an hour. Then dry completely with paper towels, making sure to press down and remove any more moisture and excess salt. Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I use plain flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. For the third station, I use herbed Italian breadcrumbs. Now, place the slices of prepared eggplant into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the breadcrumbs (making sure they are completely covered).

4. Frying the Eggplant: Heat a deep sauté pan to medium heat with the canola oil. Once the oil has heated, fry the slices for 2-3 minutes each side (depending on the size of your fryer, mine is pretty small, so I do 2 at a time). The eggplant should be golden brown on the outside and velvety soft on the inside. Once they are done frying, place them onto a paper towel to drain, and sprinkle them with salt & pepper immediately. After all of the eggplant is fried, you can begin layering your Eggplant Parmesan.

5. Layering the Eggplant Parmesan: Begin the assembling process by spreading a ladle-full of room temperature, brown butter-heirloom tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish as a base. Layer the crispy eggplant slices, a piece of creamy burrata cheese, & whole fresh basil leaves, following this shingling technique, repeatedly, until all of the components have been used up. Finish by freshly grating some Parmesan cheese and sprinkling some red pepper flakes over the top of the Eggplant Parmesan.

6. Baking the Eggplant Parmesan: Place the finished dish into the oven and bake until the burrata cheese has melted until ooey-gooey and everything has reached a golden brown color. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

7. Finishing the Eggplant Parmesan: Once it has all melted, crisped, baked, and cooked through, spoon a portion of the eggplant onto plates and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan + a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Enjoy with a hearty glass of red wine! 

A Southern Inspired Version of Yotam Ottolenghi's Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce, Pomegranates, Candied Pecans,
Candied Jalapenos, Chives, + Balsamic Reduction

Have y'all seen any of Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks yet? I think he has about three out right now, I only own the one, Plenty. And even though, it is far from my cuisine of choice, I am so intrigued by his flavor combination, uses of veggies & herbs, and his beautiful photography. Although he includes protein in some of his recipes, most of them are vegetarian, which I love because I don't cook nearly enough those kinda dishes... mine almost all have to have bacon in them. Of course. The recipe that really pulled me in was his Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce. The picture was so gorgeous and inviting, but had the perfect rustic touch to it! I knew I had to make it, but with a southern spin.... haha, no brainer there. The eggplants are halved and cross-hatched before they are drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning (instead of za'tar). Once you've roasted them it's time to garnish them with a'whole'lotta crap. YAY for crap! I included the buttermilk sauce & pomegranates, like Ottolenghi, but I also scattered some chopped candied pecan, candied jalapenos, chives, and a balsamic reduction drizzle over the top. I decided to use a balsamic reduction, but I think a pomegranate reduction or pepper jelly drizzle would be just as fab as well, so it's up to y'all! I absolutely adore how the pictures turned out, they are so bright + vibrant, and I think they would be the perfect addition to your summer table. But go ahead and make it now, it's really pretty any time of the year!! Enjoy :)

For the Eggplant:

2 Large + Long Eggplants, Sliced in Half Lengthways

1/3C Olive Oil

½t Dried Basil + Dried Oregano

Fleur de Sel & Fresh Cracked Pepper

1t Cajun Seasoning

For the Buttermilk Sauce:

9T Buttermilk (well-shaken)

½C Sour Cream

1 ½T Melted Bacon Fat or Olive Oil

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For Garnishing:

Pomegranate Seeds

Fresh Chives, Minced

Homemade Candied Pecans, Roughly Chopped

Homemade Candied Jalapenos, Finely Chopped

Balsamic Reduction, Pomegranate Reduction, or Pepper Jelly (for drizzling)

Directions:

1. Preparing the Eggplant:Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don't eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
2. Roasting the Eggplant:Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil, keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
3. For the Sauce:Whisk together all of the ingredients until a smooth consistency has formed. Season with salt & pepper. Keep chilled until you are ready to use.
4. Serving the Eggplant: Place the roasted eggplant halves onto a serving plate and spoon plenty of the buttermilk sauce over the halves. Sprinkle the top of the sauce with some more Cajun seasoning, and then drizzle on some balsamic reduction/pomegranate reduction/pepper jelly (of your choosing). Scatter plenty of pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, candied jalapenos, and freshly minced chives. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!

here are some #instagrub pictures :)

Eggplant Parmesan Pizza with Roasted Eggplant Chips, Ricotta, Sun Dried Red Peppers, Toasted Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil, + Crispy Garlic Bread Crust

Eggplant Parmesan Pizza with Roasted Eggplant Chips, Ricotta, Sun Dried Red Peppers, Toasted
 Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil, + Crispy Garlic Bread Crust

Everybody loves raymond pizza. Amirite? Yep. We make it weekly, most of y'all order it weekly... it's an oldie, but goodie. I'm kinda sorta really over delivery pizza. I think I had my fill of it over the years of middle school slumber parties and drunk binge eating in college. Now I want it fancy. And what's more Italian than pizza? Well, I always think of either chicken parmesan or eggplant parmesan. Which means, I just had to concoct a Eggplant Parmesan-inspired Pizza. Let's start with the sauce... it sorta reminds me of a sun dried tomato paste sauce. It's toasty, herby, and really enhances the tomato to a'whole'nother level. This condiment really would be great on pasta, chicken, or even on a piece of toasted bread. So, it's quite versatile. Now onto the toppings. I roasted some thinly cut eggplant to make some "chips". That's easy-peasy, so don't skip this step and just put raw eggplant on the pizza, we didn't like it that way at all. Oh buddy, it's time for the best part... the sweet + tangy sun dried red peppers. I found these little red jewels at our grocery store and I was immediately drawn to them. I don't know how they make them or what they flavor them with, but they are straight-up gangsta. And that's impressive since this girl right here is not a fan of roasted red peppers. At all. But these Delallo Peppers, I could eat straight out of the jar. I think I purchased a whole basket of them because we love them that much. I made a killer sun dried red pepper dressing and I plan on making a hummus this weekend featuring them as well. They make everything so much better. Okay, now enough of my love affair with a vegetable. The rest of the pizza is topped with mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta cheese, and fresh basil. However, there was just one more component I needed to address. I needed a way to mimic the crispy breadcrumb coating of eggplant parmesan. Eventually, we landed on the idea of making a crispy garlic bread pizza crust. The outer rim of your pizza dough is brushed with a butter-garlic-herb mixture that is chock full of herbed Panko breadcrumbs. When you bake it in the oven, the breadcrumbs toast & crisp up and give you the most amazing crispy exterior. It was the perfect way to finish this over-the-top pizza, mark my words. So ditch the delivery crap and give this a go, I really think everyone who loves this classic Italian dish will love the pizza even more!! Enjoy :)

Y'all have to try these Delallo Sun Dried Peppers!!

Eggplant Parmesan-inspired Pizza :)

Don't forget the fresh basil, it's super important.

sliced up + already eaten. 

For the Crispy Garlic Bread Crust:

5T Unsalted Butter, Melted

2 Garlic Cloves + Sea Salt (mashed into a garlic paste)

2T Parmesan Cheese

1t Dried Basil + Dried Oregano

3T Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs (plain or Italian flavors will work)

For the Toasted Tomato Sauce:

1/3C Olive Oil

1 Clove of Garlic, Minced

½t Dried Oregano, Basil, Thyme, & Rosemary

A Generous Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

½t Fresh Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt

3oz Tomato Paste

½t Honey

For the Eggplant Chips:

1 Small Eggplant, Thinly Sliced into Rounds

Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Salt, Pepper, & Dried Oregano, For Sprinkling

For the Eggplant Parmesan Pizza:

Homemade Extra-Crusty Pizza Dough

Prepared Crispy Garlic Bread Crust Butter

Prepared Toasted Tomato Sauce

8oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Cut into Thin Slices

Baked Eggplant Chips

4oz Ricotta Cheese (for dollops)

Sweet + Tangy Sun Dried Red Peppers (I love the Delallo brand)

Fresh Basil, Chiffonade

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. For the Crispy Garlic Bread Pizza Crust: Using a roll pin or your hands, form the dough into your desired shape (sometimes I use baking sheets and do rectangles or free form pizzas). Melt 5 tablespoons of butter and mix it with the minced garlic, dried herbs, and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. In a small sauté pan, toast the panko breadcrumbs over medium heat until they smell nutty and they are lightly golden brown in color. Set them aside once you are done toasting them. Using a spoon or pastry brush, douse the outside edges with the herbed garlic butter mixture. You can spread the butter all over; just make sure to focus on the edges. Although make sure to save about one half of the butter, to spread on the pizza once it comes out of the oven. Continue to make your pizza with your desired toppings.

2. For the Toasted Tomato Sauce: Add the olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to a small skillet. Stir and heat the mixture over low heat for about 3-5 minutes. It’s okay if it sizzles slightly, but you don’t want it to get hot enough that the herbs burn. Add the tomato paste and honey. Allow it to heat through as you stir. It will not form a smooth sauce. Continue to stir and heat over low for about 5 minutes or until you notice the tomato paste has darkened slightly. Either use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

3. For the Eggplant Chips:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat. Thinly slice the eggplant into rounds or chips. Spread them out onto the baking sheet and drizzle them with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and slightly crisp.

4. Prepping the Dough:During the last hour of the dough’s resting, preheat the oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Now it’s time to add on the toppings.

5. Assembling the Pizza:Spread the dough with some of the herbed-garlic butter and toasted tomato sauce, and then scatter the mozzarella cheese over the dough in an even layer, and drop on dollops of ricotta cheese. Then top it the eggplant chips, sun dried peppers, and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Place the pizza into the hot oven and bake for roughly 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the crust has begun to brown. Bump the oven heat up to broil.

6. Serving the Pizza:Remove from the oven and brush the pizza with garlic-parmesan butter, using it all up. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan over top if desired. Generously top it with some fresh basil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cut into slices and enjoy it while it is still hot!