one very large aubergine
a plant-based eggplant parmigiana-inspired recipe guaranteed to please
Is anyone else consistently disappointed with the size of aubergines at their local?
First off, I should acknowledge that we have attempted to grow aubergines in the past, and I am the first to admit that these puppies can be a challenge to grow to a decent size - even getting plants to fruit at all can be a challenge.
But despite this knowledge, I have to say that this season I’ve been chronically underwhelmed when casting my gaze to the aubergine stand at the super or farmer’s market (in fairness to local Ōtepoti growers, the fact that any of them can grow even a modestly-sized aubergine feels like a small miracle). Like most people, I love a big meaty aubergine, especially when considering they’re sold per item as opposed to weight. When a 250g aubergine costs $6 in the peak of summer it hardly feels worth it.
I’d been thinking that perhaps I needed to adjust my lofty expectations ~ and realise that actually a smaller aubergine may hold better flavour and be a positive sign that the growing environment wasn’t pumped full of growth-encouraging hormones or nasty fertilisers. But low and behold, this past week the well-endowed aubergines have come to the party and can be found lying hefty on the grocer shelves ~ which also makes sense given we’re now at the tail end of the season, so these ones theoretically may have had a longer opportunity to grow. And I was lucky enough to be gifted one of these purple beauties by my mum (see pic above).
On thinking what to do with this beast of an aubergine, my mind was taken back to an instagram post I had seen by NY Times food columnist Eric Kim last year, where he shared his recipe for an Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana di Melanzane in Italian, or Eggplant Parmigiana as you’re probably familiar with - no idea why the US insist on just calling it Eggplant Parmesan). I found it comical how he got backlash from various self-proclaimed pundits who had their own opinions on what an Eggplant Parmigiana should be. Who knew that there could be so many interpretations of a dish that is simply layers of cooked aubergine, cheese & tomato sauce.
It appears that some people fry their aubergine first while others bake it before assembly. Some leave the aubergine au naturel, while others dredge it then coat in flour or breadcrumbs. Parmesan is usually included but mozzarella often joins the party. Then there is the making of the tomato sauce which has layers of variable in its own right.
Here’s a link to Eric Kim’s article where he discusses all things Eggplant Parmigiana with a collection of reputable American chefs.
So when placed with the proposition of how I might cook this super-sized aubergine I decided to channel my Eric Kim and make my own plant-based version-esque of the classic Italian dish. Because vegan parmesan is hard to come by and kind of average, I’ve instead opted for a plant-based béchamel of sorts that layers with baked crumbed aubergine & spicy tomato sauce to create something rather magical.
In the back of my head I also had the voice of a lovely woman who attended my recent cooking workshop in Hawke’s Bay, who suggested there need to be more recipes targetted at those who live alone, with smaller portion sizes. Because I just had the singular monster aubergine, this week’s recipe also fits that brief (but could easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd).
Plus scroll to the bottom for the usual seasonal highlights and other foodie reads that may be of interest.
Enjoy,
Alby xx
Eggplant not-parmigiana with miso béchamel
For when you’re craving Italian comfort food but don’t want to make a big-ass lasagne. This plant-based take on the classic Italian eggplant parmigiana sees layers of crispy crumbed eggplant, a rich classic tomato sauce, creamy miso béchamel and fresh basil come together in a symphony of delicious. While this recipe is designed for small scale cooking (perfect for couples or solo cooks), it can easily be doubled or tripled to feed any number of guests ~ just adjust the final baking vessel accordingly. Cooking times will be longer for reducing the sugo and béchamel too.
Hands-on Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
serves 3-4 as a main, easily doubled or tripled for a crowd
Cost Estimate: $15 ($4-5 per serve)
Ingredients
Crumbed eggplant
500g eggplant (about 2 small-medium or 1 very large)
sea salt
125ml plant-based milk
50g cornflour
150g panko breadcrumbs
1 large handful basil leaves, for assembly and to serve
Tomato sugo
3 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ tsp sea salt, plus extra to taste as needed
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
2x 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp soft brown sugar
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
Miso béchamel
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white (Shiro) miso paste
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
50g plain flour
500ml plant-based milk
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp cracked black pepper
sea salt, to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced (or 220°C conventional). Grease a large lipped oven tray or baking tin generously with olive oil. You will also need a regular 900g high-sided loaf tin (ie 23cm x 12cm x 7cm) or similarly-sized small baking dish for assembly - if doubling or tripling the recipe, use a medium or large deep baking dish.
First prepare the crumbed eggplant. Slice the eggplant lengthways into 1cm-thick steaks. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and cornflour until smooth. Place the breadcrumbs in a second medium bowl. Taking one eggplant steak at a time, dip in the thickened milk to evenly coat, then toss in the breadcrumbs to form an even crumb on both sides. Place on the oiled oven tray and repeat with the remaining eggplant steaks, arranging on the oven tray in a single layer. Drizzle the tops of the eggplant with a little extra olive oil and bake for 30 minutes until the crumb is golden brown and the eggplant cooked through.
As the eggplant bakes, make the tomato sugo. Place the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 8 minutes, until nicely softened. Add the garlic, salt and chilli flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, until the garlic is turning golden. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, basil, sugar and black pepper. Pour 200ml water into one empty tomato can, swirling to get any of the tomato juice on the sides. Pour into the second tomato can, again swirling to get any remaining juice, and add this to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely thickened. You want it to be slightly thicker than a regular pasta sauce. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth and adjust seasoning to taste with extra salt as needed.
Next, make the béchamel. In a large deep saucepan, whisk together the olive oil and miso paste. Place over medium heat and once hot, add the flour and nutritional yeast, and whisk into the miso oil, cooking for a minute or two to form a crumbly paste (the roux). Remove from the heat and gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth. Return to the heat, bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat for a few minutes, whisking regularly along the bottom of the pan, to cook out the flour and create a deliciously thick béchamel. Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired - the miso should make it flavoursome without needing to add salt.
Once the eggplant is nicely browned, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan-forced (or 200°C conventional).Â
To assemble, spoon a little of the tomato sugo into the base of the loaf tin. Place a layer of eggplant to completely cover the base - feel free to have them slightly overlap or you can cut some of the eggplant steaks in half if desired to fit. Top with a layer of tomato sugo to cover, followed by a layer of béchamel and then a handful of basil leaves. Repeat twice more, layering eggplant, sugo, béchamel and basil until you have three layers of each, topped with a layer of béchamel (do not put basil on top of the final béchamel layer). The loaf tin will likely be full, perhaps almost overflowing and you may have a little leftover sugo or béchamel. If you have any remaining breadcrumbs from crumbing earlier, sprinkle these over the top. Place the loaf tin on a baking tray - in case a little of the sauce bubbles over as it bakes. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
To serve, slice with a sharp knife and use a spatula to scoop each piece out of the tin (this will inherently be a little messy). Serve warm with extra fresh basil leaves and your favourite greens.
Alby’s Advice:
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled - just use a medium or large deep baking dish instead of a loaf tin.
You can easily leave out the miso in the béchamel if desired (and season with more salt), but it does give the sauce a delicious umami flavour that’s worth achieving.
I like to add chilli flakes to the tomato sugo as they bring an extra element of flavour and warmth that I crave. But I’ve given you the option to leave them out if you’d like to keep the sauce more traditional.
This refrigerates excellently ~ simply slice and reheat in the oven as desired.
If serving immediately after baking it can be a little messy to cut ~ but just embrace the messy deliciousness. If you’re wanting neat slices, it is best to refrigerate then slice and reheat once chilled.
Best of the season this fortnight (NZ):
Early mandarins
Mid season apples & pears
Avocados
Late figs
Last of the aubergines
Last of the tomatoes
Brassicas
Beetroot
Celery
Hardy greens - cavolo nero, silver beet, kale
Early feijoas
Brain Food:
figs, golden kiwifruit & feijoas growing in ÅŒtepoti?! Check out this video of the George Street Orchard food forest. You can book a tour today - I highly recommend (having visited last week!).
Always wondered what those ‘Health Star Ratings’ on packaged processed foods actually mean?! Have a read of this.
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