Catalan Stuffed Aubergines Eggplant Recipes

SPANISH STUFFED EGGPLANT RECIPE (BERENJENAS RELLENAS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C)
• Wash the eggplants well and cut them in half lengthwise
• Put them on a baking sheet, skin side down and make crisscross cuts through the flesh
• Drizzle with lots of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until flesh is completely tender and easy to scoop out
• Take the eggplants out of the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes covered in aluminum foil while you prepare the filling (this ensures they're easy to scoop)
• Mince the garlic and dice the onion and pepper very small
• Saute the diced vegetables in hot olive oil while you scrape out the flesh of each eggplant and add it to the pan
• When the vegetables are starting to brown, add the ground meat (or the vegetarian mixture) and saute until cooked through
• Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat
• Let the mixture rest for a few minutes before filling the empty eggplant skins
• To fill the skins, first add a layer of tomato sauce to the empty skins before filling
• Fill each skin to the top, and cover in mozzarella cheese
• Put under the broiler until just browned on the top
• Enjoy your Spanish stuffed eggplants!

CATALAN STUFFED AUBERGINES (EGGPLANT)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C, 400F, gas mark 6; lightly oil a shallow ovenproof dish large enough to hold the aubergine halves.
• Fry the onion and garlic gently in half the butter, until translucent; meanwhile, scoop out the aubergine flesh taking care to leave the shells intact.
• Chop the flesh into small dice and mix with the onion, garlic, hard-boiled eggs, breadcrumbs and parsley; season to taste.
• Pile this mixture into the aubergine skins (it helps to press down the first few spoonfuls for each shell) and arrange in the dish; dot with the remaining butter then bake for approximately 40 minutes (if the stuffing looks as if it is getting a bit dry during cooking, cover with foil).
• Garnish and serve.

CREOLE STUFFED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the butter and olive oil together in large skillet.
• Add the onion, celery, and garlic and saute over low heat until the onion is translucent.
• Add the diced bell pepper and continue to saute until the onion is golden.
• In the meantime, stem the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise.
• With a sharp knife, score each half several times lengthwise and across, carefully removing the pulp.
• Leave a sturdy shell of about 1/4" all around.
• Chop the eggplant pulp and add it to the skillet mixture along with all the remaining ingredients except the bread crumbs.
• Add a bit of water, just enough to keep the mixture moist.
• Simmer, covered, over low heat until the eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the bread crumbs.
• Set the eggplant shells in an oiled shallow baking dish, which should be of a size that they can be securely propped up against each other.
• Stuff the eggplant shells with the sauteed mixture, then drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of melted butter apiece.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, or until the shells are tender but not collapsed.
• Serve with a bit of grated Parmesan for garnish.
• Note: if you do not like green bell pepper, you might want to try substituting with orange, yellow, or red bell pepper.

CATALAN AUBERGINES/EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Prepare the eggplants/aubergines by peeling them and cutting into cubes (about 1-inch).
• Heat the oil in a frying pan add the cubes and sauté for a few minutes
• Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic and paprika to the eggplant/aubergine in the frying pan and fry over a low heat for a further 5 mins
• Add the chopped tomatoes; season with salt and pepper
• Cover the frying pan and cook for a further 15 minutes (checking that the eggplant/ aubergine is well cooked and tender).
• Place in a serving dish and garnish with a chopped fresh parsley.

ITALIAN-STYLE STUFFED AUBERGINES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways, leaving the stem intact. Using a small knife, cut a border inside each aubergine about ½-1cm thick. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the aubergine flesh, so that you have 4 shells. Brush these with a little of the oil, season and place in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Chop the flesh and place to one side.
• Meanwhile, add the remaining oil to a non-stick frying pan. Tip in the onion and cook until soft. Add the chopped aubergine flesh and cook through. Tip in the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 3 mins more. Stir in olives, basil, mozzarella and seasoning.
• When the aubergine shells are tender, remove from the oven and reduce heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pile stuffing into shells, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and drizzle with a little more oil. Bake for 15-20 mins, until the cheese is gooey and the breadcrumbs are golden. Serve with a green salad.