Involtini - Aubergine Rolls w Mozzarella - Question

[mish]

I would like to try this recipe, but wonder if the tooth picks will burn. I thought about baking the dish, but don't want it to get mushy, and still want the garlic flavor. Any other suggestions on a possible remake? TIA



INVOLTINI DI MELANZANE E MOZZARELLA or AUBERGINE ROLLS WITH MOZZARELLA

Aubergines
Mozzarella, preferably with buffalo milk but cow's milk mozzarella is ok
Bread crumbs
Finely chopped parsley
1 clove of garlic
Red and ripe tomatoes
Basil
Salt
Olive oil

- Clean the aubergine and cut it lengthwise into thin slices.
- Sprinkle the slices with salt and set them aside for 10 minutes, in this way
they will loose some water and thus they will be easier to roll.
- While you are waiting, mix the bread crumbs with the chopped parsley and salt
it slightly.
- Chop the tomatoes finely, put them into a bowl, salt it, pour olive oil and
some chopped basil over it. Let it marinate for a while.
- Dry the aubergine slices and sprinkle a thin coat of the bread cumb mix over
them.
- Slice the mozzarella thinly and put one slice on each aubergine slice. Make a
roll of each slice and close each of them with a tooth pick.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan together with the clove of garlic which you
have divided in two. Fry the aubergine rolls on medium heat, take care to fry
them all around.
- Serve them warm with the chopped tomatoes.

 

[ironchef]

Soak the toothpicks in water for about 30 minutes (while you're prepping) and that should lessen the chance of it burning.

Another alternative is to use string but that may not work due to the texture of the eggplant.

 

[mish]

Thank you, IC. Sauteeing tooth picks in oil had me a little worried. Thinking, perhaps I might add some pine nuts (or pressing them into the mozzarella) - but don't want to ruin the simplicity.

 

[ironchef]

We did the same thing when I worked at the Italian restaurant. We did involtini of veal and snapper and we used toothpicks. We didn't even soak them in water. The thing is, you're only going to be sauteeing two sides of the involtini so the toothpick shouldn't even touch the pan if it was put in correctly.

That picture has the toothpick stuck in differently from how we did it. We would insert it perpendicular to the involtini and not parallel

 

[mish]

As always, IC, that makes perfect sense. The veal and snapper sound like heaven! Would love the recipe... not sure if my skills could accomplish it at home... but wondering what kind of sauce -- tomatoey onioney maybe?

A pretty presentation as an appy I looked at, had thin slivers of the eggplant standing up wrapped around the mozzarella and a black olive on top. I really should eat before I visit this site.

 

[ironchef]

The veal recipe is on the link below. I don't have one off-hand for the snapper.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/linguine-arrabiatta-veal-involtini-2111.html

 

[mish]

Thank you. I'm on my way.