Eggplant Caramelle With Gorgonzola Fonduta Recipes

EGGPLANT CARAMELLE WITH GORGONZOLA FONDUTA

Steps:

• Eggplant Filling:.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the eggplant generously with salt and let sit 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander, pressing to remove any excess moisture, and then toss in some olive oil and black pepper. Roast on a sheet pan until completely tender, and then transfer to a food processor. Reduce the oven to 300 degrees F. Puree the eggplant and then spread it onto the sheet pans before returning it to the oven to dry out. The eggplant should deepen in color and become fairly stiff.
• Meanwhile, cook the garlic and onions in a heavy-bottomed pan until deeply caramelized. Stir in the eggplant puree and cook, 10 minutes. Spread the eggplant mixture out onto a sheet pan to cool, and then combine with the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and some parsley in a large bowl. Season with lemon juice, zest, nutmeg, salt and black pepper.
• For assembling:
• Roll out the pasta dough into very thin sheets, and then cut into 3-by-2-inch rectangles. Transfer the eggplant mixture to a piping bag and pipe the filling down the center of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch margin on either side. Wet your finger and barely dampen the top edge of the rectangle. Roll up each caramelle, starting from the bottom, until you have a tube. Gently pinch the ends on either side of the filling and twist. (You are aiming for a "Tootsie Roll" look.) Cook in boiling salted water until the pasta feels tender at the twist and the center is cooked but still with tooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Warm the Gorgonzola Fonduta over low heat until smooth, adding a touch of cream if needed. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon down the center of warmed plates, lining up the caramelle on top. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.
• Gorgonzola Fonduta:.
• Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until light in color. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed pot, and then slowly whisk into the egg yolks, to temper. Pour the cream and eggs back into the pot and cook over low heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
• Whisk in the cheese a few pieces at a time until incorporated and melted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and cayenne pepper.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH EGGPLANT AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange mushrooms, rounded side down, on large baking sheet. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Sauté until eggplant is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in red wine and simmer until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in Gorgonzola cheese and 1 tablespoon basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture evenly into mushroom caps. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover mushrooms with aluminum foil. Bake mushrooms for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese melts, filling bubbles and mushrooms are tender when pierced with sharp knife, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve warm.

OPEN-FACED EGGPLANT AND GORGONZOLA GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplants in a colander set over a bowl; toss with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse well, and let drain. Press to remove excess liquid.
• Arrange eggplants in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup oil; season with pepper. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat broiler. Melt butter with remaining tablespoon oil. Brush over cut sides of bread. Broil until top edges are just golden. Arrange eggplant in a single layer over bread. Top with cheese. Place on baking sheet; broil until cheese has melted and is bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.

ITALIAN FONDUTA

Steps:

• In top of a double boiler set over simmering water, melt butter. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and the yolks; stir in the cheese.
• Whisking constantly, slowly add egg and cheese mixture into butter. Continue whisking until mixture has melted and thickened slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer fonduta to a warmed bowl and garnish with shaved truffle or truffle oil, if desired. Serve with bread, potatoes or asparagus, for dipping. Alternatively, arrange asparagus on a platter, drizzle with fonduta, and garnish with shaved truffle or truffle oil.