Bobby Flay's Grill It! - Bobby Flay [75]
Grilled Eggplant and Manchego Cheese Salad with Balsamic–Black Pepper Glaze
This recipe was on the menu of my restaurant Bolo for many years and was always a best seller. I baked it at the restaurant, but when making it for friends and family at home I like to prepare it on the grill; it’s a hit either way, but the grilled version is lighter and slightly easier. This makes an excellent vegetarian entrée with its creamy cheese, rich balsamic glaze, and meaty-tasting and -textured eggplant, but it could also be served as a salad course to start off any meal. See photograph.
Serves 4
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 medium eggplants, cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices (you will need 12 equal slices)
⅓ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (¼-inch-thick) slices manchego cheese
16 fresh basil leaves, plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Pour the balsamic vinegar into a medium saucepan and boil over high heat until reduced to ½ cup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the honey and coarsely ground black pepper and transfer to a bowl. The glaze can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
Heat your grill to high.
Brush both sides of the eggplant with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the eggplant on the grill and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Keep the grill on.
Transfer 8 slices of the eggplant to a flat surface, top each slice with a slice of cheese and 2 basil leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Stack the eggplant slices to make four 2-layer stacks and top with the remaining 4 eggplant slices.
Carefully return the stacks to the grill and grill for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted. Remove the stacks to a large dinner plate, drizzle with the balsamic–black pepper glaze, and garnish with chopped basil.
Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Ricotta and Grilled Tomato Relish
Eggplant Rollatini can be found in just about every southern Italian restaurant in America and with good reason. What’s not to love about creamy ricotta wrapped inside eggplant that’s baked in the oven with lots of garlicky tomato sauce? My version is lighter, quicker, and every bit as satisfying. Sheep’s-milk ricotta is sweet and tangy and if you can find it, you should definitely use it. If it’s not available where you live, by all means use the cow’s-milk ricotta in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
Serves 4
2 medium eggplants, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
¼ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 ounces fresh sheep’s-milk ricotta
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 (2-ounce) block Parmigiano-Reggiano, thinly shaved
Grilled Tomato Relish
Heat your grill to high.
Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Stir together the ricotta and parsley in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Place the grilled eggplant on a large platter and top each slice with a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta mixture, a heaping tablespoon of the tomato relish, and a few shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Grilled Eggplant Dip with Tomato, Yogurt, and Grilled Bread
This is my version of a Greek dip called melitzanosalata. Grilling the eggplants whole gives the sweet flesh an amazing smoky flavor while the yogurt, vinegar, and lemon juice add a fresh tang. I like this served on pieces of good crusty bread for a kind of Greek bruschetta, but it works equally as well as a dip with homemade or store-bought baked pita chips.
Serves 4 to 6
2 medium eggplants
4 tablespoons canola oil
3 plum tomatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic