Baked Eggplant and Sausage

      This is the time of year when eggplants are plentiful and delicious! One thing I like to do is make meals that can be easily frozen and then enjoyed in the winter. Not everything works for that purpose, but this dish does. Even so, the ingredients here make a smallish casserole and could serve two with just a few "lunch" leftovers.

      We're just going to fry up some eggplant and make a casserole, lasagna style, with layers of hard cooked egg, fresh mozzarella and sausage slices. Add a little tomato sauce and top with freshly made balsamella sauce. Bake, then let sit for at least 15 minutes and serve plain or on cooked grain or rice. I used couscous today.

      A wide variety of wines would accompany this dish very well because it is mild and soft on the palate. You could use a full bodied wine to complement, or a soft and not too dry white to enhance it. I would initially think in the direction of a Brunello for the red or a Vouvray for the white. But not tonight!!

      I am not a great fan of West Coast Cabernets. They tend to be too full and big, with a cloying aftertaste that I just don't prefer. Maybe the grapes grow too well there. Grapes that grow where they shouldn't want to (like the side of a volcano) seem to produce wines that are more in my wheelhouse. But I realize that I'm probably in the minority here. So I purchased one of the 1878 cases produced of John Bookwalter's 2008 Foreshadow Washington State Cabernet, basically for the pleasure of visiting friends. The wine is just coming into its own and will only improve over the next several years. I have to admit, while this is a big ripe and round wine, it does not have the negative attributes I would expect from, say, a California Cabernet. Maybe the Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley and Red Mountain are more interesting places to grow. Also there is no Merlot in the blend! In fact (don't tell anyone) I sort of enjoy this wine with the proper food match. It is definitely a wine to accompany food.

Ingredients:

2             small Eggplants

most of the ingedients

3    links Italian Sausage (hot or mild)

1    HB   Egg

6    oz     Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

2    cups   Tomato Sauce

2             Eggs, beaten

¼   cup  Fresh Parsley, chopped

               Dusting Flour

               Olive Oil for frying

2    tsp    Sugar

1    tsp    Cinnamon

               Fresh Nutmeg to grate

               salt & pepper to taste

               Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese to grate

2    cups   Balsamella Sauce:

Balsamella Sauce ingredients

⅓ cup     butter

4   Tbs     flour

2   cups   Warm Milk

1             Egg, well beaten

2   Tbs     Parmigiano Cheese, grated

½ tsp      Nutmeg, grated

Preparation (to be done earlier in the day, or the day before):

1    Hard boil one egg

2    Peel Eggplants and slice into ¼" slices. Place slices in a non-reactive colander and liberally salt each layer with coarse Kosher-type salt. Place a bowl under the colander and a weight on top. This will drain bitter juices from the Eggplant. Let this drain from about 2 hours to overnight. When finished, dispose of juices, rinse salt off Eggplants and squeeze them dry with a kitchen towel (or paper towels).

using marble mortar to press eggplant

3    Cook Sausage in a fry pan until nicely browned on outside, and just cooked on inside.

4    In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.

5    Grate about ½ cup Parmigiano cheese, divide it into two parts. One with about 2 Tbs. and the other all the rest (for the casserole), reserve.

Create Casserole:

1    Beat 2 Eggs in a shallow bowl. Mix in about 1 Tbs chopped parsley.

2    In a metal fry pan, heat oil to hot.

3    Sprinkle Dusting Powder on both sides of Eggplant slices.

preparing to fry eggplant

4    Dip Eggplant into beaten egg and fry, in batches, until golden on each side.

5    Remove to paper towels and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar while they are very hot.

frying eggplant: note cinnamon-sugar

6    When all Eggplants are done, slice Sausages into ¼" slices.

7    Slice fresh Mozzarella as thinly as you can.

8    Slice HB Egg.

9    Assemble Casserole as you would a lasagna:

·      coat bottom with Tomato Sauce

·      layer about one-third the Eggplant

·      cover with a little Tomato Sauce

·      sprinkle on a little Parmigiano

·      layer all the Sausage

·      layer about half the remaining Eggplant

·      layer the Eggs

·      layer the Mozzarella slices

·      spread Tomato Sauce over this layer

·      sprinkle any left-over Parsley and any remaining Parmigiano

·      layer the rest of the Eggplant

 10  The final step is to pour the Balsamella Sauce over the Casserole, but you must make it fresh. So do so now:

·         beat one Egg in a small bowl

·         melt Butter in a 4 cup sauce pan

·         add Flour and cook gently, while stirring, for about 5 minutes

butter and flour

·         while stirring, warm Milk in microwave for a few minutes

·         gradually add Milk and stir over moderate heat until sauce bubbles and becomes silky

·         grate Nutmeg and add Parmigiano to sauce, mixing in

·         remove from heat

·         mix a tablespoon of sauce to the egg

·         then quickly whisk the egg mixture into the sauce

 11  Pour all the Balsamella Sauce over top layer of Eggplant making the Casserole well coated.

 12  Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 45 ─ 60 minutes, until top is golden.

finished baking

 13  Heat some Tomato Sauce to pour on finished dish.

 14  Remove from oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes before you serve.

Baked Eggplant over Couscous

   Enjoy!! 

Veal Marsala with Fettuccine

        Veal Marsala is a very simple dish with few, but high quality ingredients. In fact, it’s often prepared table-side. This variation produces a sauce for some fettuccine to accompany the veal. The addition of some onion, mushrooms, stock and a little tomato paste creates enough volume of sauce to do that job. The dish remains relatively quick to prepare, just have everything prepped and ready because it goes from raw ingredients to finished in just a few minutes!

        Now for the wine: This is sort of a mild tasting meal so I thought a Vouvray would be ideal. The 2009 Vouvray Sec of Christophe Thorigny is about as sec as a Vouvray gets but, of course, that means not very. Actually it is a beautifully balanced wine and has a lovely soft feel to it.

        The Marsala I’m using is a Fine and Dry, which means it is fairly young. You’ll want to add a little sugar to the sauce. If you use a sweeter Marsala, then skip the sugar. You can wait until you taste the sauce near the end to decide how to correct the sweetness and seasoning.

Ingredients

½     lb.   Veal cutlet, thinly sliced

most of the ingredients

        Dusting Flour

4      Tbs Butter

1      Tbs Olive Oil

¼     cup Onion, chopped fine

¼     lb.   Mushrooms, sliced

2      Tbs Tomato Paste

½     cup Marsala Wine

1      cup Chicken Stock, simmering

        Salt and freshly ground Pepper

1      tsp  Sugar (depends on taste)

¼     lb.   Fettuccine

        Fresh Basil leaves, torn into small pieces

        Freshly grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Method

Pound the veal very, very thin.

pounding veal

          Prepare all other ingredients: thinly slice Onion and chop into fine dice, Slice Mushrooms ¼ inch thick, tear Basil leaves into small pieces and grate about ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese. Heat the stock. Prepare a plate with foil and an extra piece of foil for covering the Veal to keep it warm. Bring a pan of water to the boil and take careful note of the cooking time for the Fettuccine. You will want to add the pasta so that it is finished exactly when you are ready for it.

ingredients prepped

everything ready, water up

You will probably have two batches of Veal for ½ pound. Melt the Butter and a little Oil in a fry pan. Bring to high heat and immediately add the first batch of Veal. Brown one minute on each side, no more! Remove to foil lined plate and brown next batch. 

browning veal

When Veal is finished, cover tightly with foil and reserve. Add the Onion and Mushrooms to the pan, reduce heat and toss well (you may want to add a splash more oil). Add the Fettuccine to the boiling water now. Back to the sauce: sprinkle on a little Salt and freshly ground Pepper and let sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add Tomato Paste and stir in well. Let this simmer for a few minutes.

mushrooms after 5 minutes

tomato paste added

Now add Marsala and hot Stock, raise heat and let this simmer down for a bit. Taste and sweeten and/or correct seasoning, if necessary.

liquids added

          When you drain the pasta, add the Veal back to the sauce to heat.

veal warming in sauce

Plate some of the Fettuccine and a couple of cutlets. Cover both with the sauce. Sprinkle Basil and Cheese over the Pasta. 

Veal Marsala with Fettuccine

Enjoy!

Shrimp "Fra Diavolo"

       This is a fun and easy dish. The ingredients can be varied, but you really need tomato and some kind of hot pepper. I like to rough-chop the ingredients and after they cook down a bit, homogenize  them in a blender. In place of cheese (which I don't think is needed with this spicy dish), I add a little cream or half-and-half.

        Fra Diavolo means "Brother Devil" which to me requires some serious hots. I usually use a few Jalapeno or Serrano peppers. Today I have two Serrano Peppers. You want this hot, but you still want to taste the food. I think sweet peppers add a great deal of flavor so there's a little of that too. I blend all the ingredients to make a smooth sauce so that it sticks to everything better.

        Your choice of wine can vary from whites to reds, but I would recommend a somewhat dry wine. You should probably avoid carbonation, as this does not work well with hot food. My choice is a wonderful 2010 red made in Languidoc Roussillon by the brothers Coston on a 100% Bio/organic property. The wine, dubbed Les Terrasses du Larzac is made from grenache, syrah, carignan and mouvèrdre with low yields. A super wine. See red dot near bottom of map.

        In the method below, after you add the Brandy, you can either cook-off the alcohol for a few minutes or, if you're comfortable, flambé. My grandson insists on flambé, or the meal preparation isn't worth watching!  There are many ways to cook Shrimp. With this small number however, it's easiest to toss them in the cooking Pasta and pluck them out with tongs when they are done. They're done within a few seconds.

        You'll want little else with this dish. I made just the simplest Salad, drizzled with a small amount of the very finest Olive Oil.

Ingredients:

        (for one: you wouldn't have to increase these by much for two)

        5      oz       Shrimp (I used 8 of the 21 per lb. size)

        4      oz       Penne

        ¼     cup     chopped Onion

        ¼     cup     chopped Sweet Red Pepper

Most of the Ingredients

        ½     stalk   Celery, diced

        2                  Anchovies

        2                  Serrano Peppers, chopped

        4                  Capers

        14   oz       can diced Tomatoes 

                         (or fresh, if in season)

        ¼     cup     cream or ½ & ½

                fresh Parsley minced: (about 2 Tbs. minced)

                sprig of fresh Basil

        1      Tbs.    Salt

        1      Tbs.    Butter

                pinch of Sugar

        ¼     cup     Brandy

        2      Tbs.    Olive Oil

Equipment:

        Large fry pan, Pasta pan, Electric Blender, Tongs

Method:

1.    Sauté onions, celery and sweet peppers for about 5 minutes until they have softened.

Ingredients Prepped

After first 5 minutes

2.    Add Anchovies, Capers and Hot Peppers. Anchovies will completely dissolve. Lower heat and cook for about ten minutes.

3.    Turn up heat until everything sizzles. Add Brandy and either cook off alcohol or flambé.

flambe

4.    Add Tomatoes, about half the Parsley, Salt and a pinch of Sugar. Stir everything together. 

Add Tomatoes, etc.

     When the ingredients come back up to a boil, lower the heat, partially cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ready to Simmer

5.    While sauce simmers, clean and shuck Shrimp.

6.    Just before sauce is finished bring Pasta water to a boil.

7.    Add Pasta to water and set timer for about 1 minute less than box instructions.

8.    While Pasta is cooking, remove Basil from sauce and then run it through the Blender until sauce is smooth and pinkish. Return sauce to pan and keep it on low. Taste and correct seasoning.

 

9.    When timer shows about 4 minutes left, add Shrimp to Pasta water. When they are done (less than a minute) remove them with tongs and place them in sauce.

 

10.  When Pasta is done, drain very, very well and add to sauce and shrimp. Add the cream or ½ & ½ and mix in. 

Pasta added

Cream added

      Cover and let simmer for a few minutes. At the end, swirl in the Butter and serve, sprinkling the remaining Parsley over the dish.

 

 Enjoy!