Here’s a traditional Calabrian recipe for stuffed eggplants:
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium-sized eggplants
- 200 g ground meat (beef or pork)
- 100 g stale bread
- 100 ml milk
- 50 g grated pecorino cheese
- 2 eggs
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 onion
- 400 g canned peeled tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley to taste
- Fresh basil to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preparing the Eggplants:
- Wash the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise.
- Using a knife, scoop out the flesh of the eggplants, leaving about a 1 cm border. Set aside the scooped flesh and the hollowed eggplants.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the hollowed eggplants for about 5 minutes. Drain and let them cool.
- Preparing the Filling:
- In a pan, sauté the chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves in some extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the ground meat and cook until it is completely browned.
- Add the finely chopped eggplant flesh and cook for another 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, soak the stale bread in milk. Once it is well soaked, squeeze out the excess milk and add the bread to the meat mixture.
- Combine with grated pecorino cheese, eggs, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well until you have a homogeneous mixture.
- Stuffing the Eggplants:
- Fill the hollowed eggplants with the prepared filling, pressing well to adhere the mixture.
- Arrange the stuffed eggplants in a lightly oiled baking dish.
- Preparing the Sauce:
- In the same pan used for the meat, add a bit more oil if needed and the crushed canned tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt and some basil leaves. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.
- Baking:
- Pour the tomato sauce over the stuffed eggplants in the baking dish.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the eggplants are tender and the filling is golden brown.
- Serving:
- Let the stuffed eggplants cool for a few minutes before serving.
- You can garnish with some fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of grated pecorino cheese.
Enjoy your meal!
