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Baked Stuffed Eggplant Halves
(Baklazhan Farshirovanny)
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| What You Need: |
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2 tablespoons plus ½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
4½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
l½ pound firm eggplant
2 tablespoons finely shredded white cabbage
2 tablespoons scraped, finely diced carrots
¼ cup fresh white bread crumbs, made from homemade-style white bread, pulverized in a blender or finely shredded with a fork
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until a light haze forms above it. Add 1 tablespoon of the onions and the teaspoon of garlic and reduce the heat to moderate.
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2. Stirring frequently, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions are soft and golden brown. Stir in the tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of the salt, a few grindings of pepper and sugar, cover the pan and raise the heat to high.
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3. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then cook briskly, uncovered, until all the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick enough to barely hold its shape in a spoon.
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4. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and with a small, sharp knife, make a long, ½-inch-deepincision into the flesh. Be careful not to pierce the skin.
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5. Sprinkle the cut sides of the eggplant halves evenly with 3 teaspoons of the salt and let them rest for ½ hour. Then wash the halves under cold water to remove the salt, and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels.
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6. In a heavy, 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the remaining ½ cup of oil over high heat until a light haze forms above it. Place the eggplant halves in the pan flesh-side down, and reduce the heat to moderate.
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7. Fry 10 minutes, then turn the eggplant over with a spatula, cover the pan and cook 10 minutes longer. Drain the eggplant flesh-side down on paper towels.
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8. Add the remaining onions and the carrots and cabbage to the oil still in the pan. Cook uncovered over moderate heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender but not brown.
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9. Carefully scoop the flesh out of the eggplant halves, leaving a ½-inch layer of the flesh intact in the shells. Chop the pulp finely, add it to the vegetables in the skillet and stir in 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.
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10. Stirring constantly, cook uncovered over moderate heat for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thoroughly heated.
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11. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves, dividing it evenly between them. Arrange the stuffed shells side by side in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them snugly in one layer.
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12. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and dot with the bits of butter. Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the filling is golden brown.
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