Eggplant dish help needed

[mjsorkin]

I have been trying to make an eggplant dish that will be similar to something that I have been buying in the store. It's a product from Sabra Salads and it is called "Spanish eggplant in rich tomato sauce". The eggplant is creamy in texture and melts in your mouth and the sauce is very thick and well spiced with oregano etc. I suspect that this dish and recipes like it are mediterranian in orgin. I tried yesterday to make it but I ended up with something more like an italian tomato sauce with eggplant in it. It's good but not what I'm looking for. Any ideas?

 

[mish]

Wish I knew. Sounds delish. Never had a Sabra Salad, but will look around for them. Wonder if you could read the ingredients off the label & give it another go?

Glad you brought up Eggplant. It's another favorite food. Think I'll start an Eggplant thread & maybe we'll get some more ideas.

 

[mjsorkin]

It's not so much the ingredients that I am looking for as the technique. I want the creamy melt in your mouth quality of the eggplant, and so far have not been able to get it. I have had more luck with the flavors, the main ones being tomato, and herbs.

 

[Ishbel]

This is the way I cook Aubergine Parmigiana - I have eaten a similar dish in Spain in tapas bars - but that has more coriander (leaf) and oregano in it - it is also eaten cold!

4 large aubergines, sliced lengthways (about an inch thick)
4 eggs, beaten
Fresh Parmesan, grated (about 4 oz)
4 mozzarella cheeses
Fresh tomato/onion/basil spaghetti sauce (or use a jar of the readymade stuff!)
Good olive oil
Good handful of fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
Take a deep frying pan and pour in enough oil to be at least an inch deep. Dip the aubergine slices in the egg and shake so that they are very thinly coated. Fry until golden-brown in the oil. Once done, place on a plate covered thickly with paper kitchen roll to cool, and for the excess oil to drain out.

In an ovenproof lasagne type dish, and pour a thin layer of sauce into the bottom. Layer aubergines, mozzarella, parmesan and sauce until the aubergine slices have been used up. Ensure that you reserve at least half of the mozzarella for the topping.
Top with a layer of basil leaves, and then the remainder of the mozarella.
Place in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 45 minutes.

In Spain you often get diced aubergine which have been dipped in beaten egg and coated in the Spanish equivalent of Parmesan cheese and then tossed in a little olive oil and oven baked until soft. I wonder if that is the basis of the dish you are talking about?