Thai Eggplant Sandwich Recipes

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chile and garlic; cook and stir until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add eggplants to the fragrant garlic oil. Stir in water and cover. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until eggplants soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated and eggplant is coated with sauce, about 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir once; remove from heat.

THE BEST FRIED-EGGPLANT SANDWICH

Steps:

• Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with paper towels. Trim stem end from eggplants, then peel and discard skin. Using a knife or a mandoline, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 3/16-inch-thick slabs. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant with salt. Let stand for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Pat eggplant dry with paper towels, and stack on a plate.
• Discard the wet paper towels, and replace them in the sheet pan with more, then place a wire rack on top. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmery. Working in batches, fry the eggplant slabs until just tender, approximately 30 to 40 seconds per side. Transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. Remove skillet from heat.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and grated Parmesan. Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat until the oil is hot again.
• Working in batches, dip drained eggplant into egg batter, then fry in oil until puffed, lightly golden and cooked through, approximately 2 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. You can cook the eggplant in advance of assembling sandwiches. Covered, it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, though the eggplant is best at room temperature.
• Assemble sandwiches. Cut the hero rolls open, then spread each one with mayonnaise. Layer the slices of eggplant onto the bread in equal portions, and top with equal portions of the mozzarella and the sliced roast beef. Add slices of hot cherry peppers to taste, fold the sandwich together and serve.

THAI EGGPLANT SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• For the eggplant spread, pierce the eggplant in several places with the tines of a fork. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Unwrap the eggplant, let cook slightly, and cut it in half. Scoop the cooked pulp onto a cutting board, discarding as many seeds as possible. Coarsely chop the eggplant and plant it in a mixing bowl. Add the basil leaves, lemon zest, oil, and raisins. Combine well. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In another bowl, mix the chevre with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Assemble the sandwiches. Divide the eggplant spread evenly atop the slices of toasted peasant bread. Cover evenly with the whole basil leaves. Spread the chevre mixture over the basil leaves and top each sandwich with a tomato slice. Brush the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat source until the tomato just starts to brown, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the tops with the slivered basil and serve immediately.

EGGPLANT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. Dip the eggplant in egg and fry the eggplant for about 3 to 4 minutes a side or until tender.
• Set the eggplant slices on a baking pan and season each slice with salt and pepper. Spread each slice of eggplant with pesto and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the mozzarella melts.
• Set one eggplant slice on top of the other if you wish, to form more of a towering sandwich and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

GRILLED EGGPLANT SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a small bowl, combine garlic with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic oil on cut sides of bread and grill until lightly toasted on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Top bottom half with cheese.
• Brush eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and lightly charred, 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once. Layer eggplant on cheese. Brush tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping once. Layer tomatoes on eggplant, top with basil, and sandwich with top half of bread. Cut crosswise into 4 pieces and serve.

THAI EGGPLANT SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the eggplant with a fork. Wrap in foil and bake 1 hour. Unwrap, let cool slightly and cut in half. Scoop out pulp, discarding as many seeds as possible. Coarsely chop and place in a bowl. Stir in chopped basil, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon oil, raisins and salt and pepper.
• In another bowl, mix the chevre with 2 tablespoons of oil and salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the broiler.
• To assemble, spread the eggplant mixture evenly over the bread slices. Cover with the whole basil leaves. Spread the chevre mixture over the basil and top each sandwich with a tomato slice. Brush the tomatoes with the remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat until the tomato just starts to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the slivered basil and serve immediately.