We love a good eggplant Parmesan. But we’re not talking about that greasy, sauce-laden mess that we see at some corporate wanna-be Italian restaurants. Here we’re talking about a light, veggie-centric dish that we do on the grill. Our light, summer take on this Italian-American classic skips the breading and relies on the grill to do all the cooking – and you get added bonus flavor if you use a charcoal or wood fired grill. Flavors are enhanced with two key ingredients: freshly made garlic oil and Serious Foodie Sicilian Spice Blend. With our version, the “sauce” is made from flame-roasted tomatoes, flame-roasted red bell peppers, and onions which is spooned over the grilled eggplant. Add some gooey grilled mozzarella and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and you got a magnificent healthy quick summer meal.
First, a couple of tricks/techniques.
Slice It Right
It’s important to slice the eggplant into even rounds, about 1/4 inch. If you have a mandolin slicer, then this is a good time to dust it off – and be careful of the fingers.
Salt It Right
The next step with eggplant, for any dish, is key: evenly salt both sides, then let it sit for 20-30 minutes. This step removes the bitter juices (you don’t want those hanging around).
Garlic It Right
Pat dry both sides, then liberally apply garlic oil. We like to make our own garlic oil, which is very simple to make and tastes best when fresh. To make garlic oil, peel and smash 8-10 medium to large cloves of garlic. Place in a jar with a lid. Fill with 2 cups of olive oil, and let sit at room temperature for more than 8 hours. If you have any left over, then refrigerate for up to a week.
Grill It Right
Heat up your grill to medium high, about 450° F – we’re using a gas grill here, but charcoal or wood pellet grills work well too.
Have all your ingredients prepped, and ready to go.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces extra firm tofu It is important to use extra firm
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil We use grapeseed oil
- 2 scallion Sliced, on a bias
- 1/2 medium Sweet onion Julienne sliced
- 3 cups Vegetables We used snow peas, shredded carrots, and broccolini
- 1 bottle Serious Foodie Tamarillo Grill Sauce Go to shop.serious-foodie.devsquad.tech to order
- Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions
- Pat dry both sides of the steak. Liberally season the steak with the Serious Foodie Seattle Espresso Rub. Wrap the seasoned flank steak tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Sthe sauce over medium heat until it is reduced by one half. Add the mustard, rosemary, . Cook on low heat until the sauce is thick.
- Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking; pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill.
- To make the sauce: add the olive oil to a sauce pan, and heat over medium. Add the minced garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 60 to 90 seconds. Immediately add the wine and soy sauce, and reduce by 1/2 (about 5 minutes). Stir in the Dijon mustard, rosemary, brown sugar, and optional cayenne pepper. Simmer until desired thickness is achieved.
- Place the steak on the grill, and cook to desired doneness - about 6 minutes per side for rare. It's best not to over-cook flank steak.
- Transfer the steak to a plate, and let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Cut the steak across the grain, and serve with the sauce and the optional arugula fennel salad - see https://serious-foodie.devsquad.tech/versatile-vinaigrettes/
Notes
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