Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [14]
Mmmmm … mushroom chips!
SERVES: 4 TO 6 • TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS
If you think you don’t like eggplant, I bet this recipe will change your mind. And if you do like eggplant, feel free to make these bigger for a yummy eggplant burger!
MISE EN PLACE
Extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, cut into ½-inch dice
Kosher salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper, plus more for topping
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 eggplant, strips of skin removed lengthwise (it should look striped!), cut into 1-inch dice
½ bunch of fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano
½ cup bread crumbs, plus more for coating
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2 Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and red pepper, and cook until soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, stirring frequently.
3 Toss in the tomatoes and eggplant and sprinkle with more salt. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is dry and mushy (you WANT it mushy!), stirring frequently to keep it from burning. Let the mixture cool until you can handle it, about 20 minutes.
4 Toss in the oregano, Parmigiano, and bread crumbs and stir to combine; taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
5 Put some bread crumbs in a small bowl. Using a tablespoon, scoop out balls of the eggplant mixture and roll them in the bread crumbs. When the balls are well coated, gently flatten them and put them on a baking sheet.
6 Drizzle the “cakes” with olive oil and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and crispy. Top each cake with a dollop of ricotta and a couple flakes of crushed red pepper, and serve.
Betcha love eggplant now!
Prosciutto-Arugula Breadstick “Brooms”
SERVES: 6 TO 8 • TIME: ABOUT 45 MINUTES
Who doesn’t love a breadstick? And a breadstick wrapped up with yummy stuff is even better. My recipe for homemade grissini (skinny little breadsticks) is really good, but as I always say, pick your battles. If you don’t feel like making them, go ahead and buy some packaged ones—I promise this will still be a crowd pleaser!
MISE EN PLACE
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ pound prosciutto, thinly sliced
½ pound baby arugula
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, cayenne, and rosemary in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, lemon juice, and olive oil; using a fork, gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry until a dough forms.
3 Put the dough on a well-floured work surface, shape it into a ball, and, using the heels of your hands, knead it for about a minute. If the dough sticks, sprinkle it with a bit of flour.
4 Roll the dough in a log and cut it into about twenty-four 1-inch pieces. Using both hands, roll each piece of dough into a 7-inch rope; don’t worry if they’re not all exactly the same. Put them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
5 Bake the breadsticks until golden and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let the little lovelies cool.
6 Cut the prosciutto slices in half widthwise and lay a few arugula leaves in a bunch on one end of each slice. Put the end of a breadstick on the arugula and roll up the arugula and prosciutto, pressing lightly to secure—the finished product should look like a wacky little broom! Repeat with all the breadsticks.
Watch out—these will clean up!
When rolling out the grissini,