Eggplant Braised in Marsala

I am still working on eggplant. I have been making great progress since I theorized that the trick is to make sure it is well cooked. And my latest experiment continues to support my thesis.

Braised eggplant is soft and silky, with a deep, almost smoky flavor. When combined with Marsala, it develops a velvety, luxurious umami richness that is insanely good. Add a topping of chopped toasted walnuts and fresh parsley and it is pretty near Nirvana.

This would make an excellent side dish for any dish, meat, poultry, or seafood. It packs a wallop of flavor for little effort.

You may notice that there is grated cheese on top of the photo. It makes for a prettier dish, but to my taste it overpowered the rest of the ingredients and I regretted using it. I left it off of the recipe, and I would strongly suggest that you do, too.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

EGGPLANT BRAISED IN MARSALA
Makes 4 side servings

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium eggplants
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup Marsala (or other fortified wine)
Salt to taste
pinch of nutmeg
2 Tbsp cream or butter
Parsley and toasted walnuts for garnish

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the stem end off of the eggplants and slice them into thirds lengthwise. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant flesh-side down and let sit without
touching until well browned, about 5 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook another 5 minutes, until they are also well browned.

Add the chicken stock, wine, salt and nutmeg. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for about 30 minutes, until the eggplant is silky and almost falling apart.

Remove the eggplant from the skillet and place on a serving platter. Let the liquid cook down, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add the cream or butter and cook for another minute, then pour the sauce over the
eggplant. Garnish with the parsley and walnuts and serve immediately.

10/2/2011

Exported from Home Cookin 6.46 (www.mountain-software.com)