Smoky aubergine parmigiana

By Genarro Contaldo
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

• Beef tomatoes: 6 large, equally-sized, ripe but firm, tops sliced off a quarter of the way down the tomato and reserved, seeds and pulp scooped out using a spoon and reserved, hollowed-out tomatoes reserved
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil: 9 tbsp, plus extra for drizzling
• Onion: 1 small, peeled, finely chopped
• Fresh basil leaves: 2 handfuls
• Plain flour: 2-3 tbsp, for dredging
• Small aubergines: 400g/14oz, trimmed, thinly sliced into rounds
• Free-range eggs: 2, beaten with a large pinch of salt
• Smoked mozzarella: 200g/7oz

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
2. Prepare the tomatoes: Place the hollowed-out tomatoes on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Add a pinch of salt to each cavity, turn the tomatoes upside down, and set aside for 10-15 minutes to drain excess moisture.
3. Cook the tomato filling:
   • Heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a pan over high heat.
   • Add the chopped onion and fry for 3-4 minutes until softened.
   • Add the reserved tomato pulp and half of the basil leaves. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well.
   • Reduce the heat to medium, half-cover the pan with a lid, and cook for 18-20 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture has thickened. Stir regularly to prevent burning.
4. Prepare the aubergines:
   • Heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat.
   • Sprinkle flour onto a plate and dredge the aubergine rounds in the flour, shaking off any excess.
   • When the oil is hot, dip each aubergine round into the beaten egg.
   • Fry the coated aubergine rounds in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side until crisp and golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season with salt. Repeat with remaining aubergines if necessary.
5. Assemble the stuffed tomatoes:
   • Place one fried aubergine slice into each hollowed-out tomato cavity.
   • Top with a spoonful of the tomato sauce, a basil leaf, and a slice of smoked mozzarella.
   • Repeat the layering process until the cavities are full and all ingredients are used. Reserve any excess basil leaves for garnish.
   • Replace the ‘lid’ of each tomato and transfer to an ovenproof dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and drizzle with a little remaining olive oil.
6. Bake: Bake the stuffed tomatoes in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and the cheese has melted.
7. Serve: Place one stuffed tomato in the center of each serving plate. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot or warm.