MULINCIANI RRÙSTITI - Mamma Stag's Grilled Eggplant (Aubergine), Sicilian Style

I thought it would be a good idea to kick off this website with a simple recipe that I would like to share with you. This dish is something my mother prepares, more often than not, when the BBQ is fired up, but she also whips it up in kitchen using the electric overhead grill.

It is a great side dish to your BBQed meats or simply with some Italian bread or in sandwiches. In Sicilian we call this “Mulinciani Rrùstiti”

YOU WILL NEED...

Eggplants (2 will serve about 4 people)

Nice big black or purple ones. They are very cheap when in season. When choosing – lightly squeeze them and select ones that are firm rather than soft. Soft means too many seeds – and you don’t want that.

Dried oregano – use good quality leafy kind, not the crappy powdered kind. Best to use oregano still on the stalks, available from mediterranean food shops. Just scrunch the bunch and the leaves will fall off.

Salt – you’ll need lot of it. Best to use sea salt.

Black pepper – freshly ground.

Garlic (about one small clove per 2 big eggplants) – each clove peeled and smashed with the back of a knife (or the palm of your hand if your tough like my Nonna was)

Red Wine Vinegar

Olive Oil – extra virgin of course, a fruity type works well here

Chilli flakes (optional)

HERE IS WHAT YOU DO...

Cut off the stalks and slice the eggplant length way about 1cm (0.4 inch) thick

Layer the slices in a colander sprinkling liberally with salt on each side – leave for 1 hour or more so the salt can do it’s thing and extract the bitter liquid out of the eggplant. Try to elevate the colander so the eggplant does not end up in a pool of liquid – try maybe putting the colander over a bowl with some sticks (skewers or chop sticks) holding the colander up.

The pool of liquid you’ll see under the colander is basically the bitterness that the salt has extracted and is why this is such a vital step. Discard this liquid.

Rinse slices of eggplant under running water. Then squeeze out water with your hands. Be gentle and try not to tear the slices. This rinse and squeeze step needs to be done to each eggplant slice twice.

Pat dry each slice with a tea towel.

Grill the eggplant slices on medium-high heat on both sides until it’s nice and browned. A few blacken parts wont hurt.

If you want a great smokey taste cook on a charcoal BBQ otherwise a gas BBQ will work – just be sure to use the grill and not the hot plate. If your cooking in the kitchen using a overhead grill or a griddle pan on your cook top.

Roughly chop up eggplant slices into 2.5cm (1 inch) bits - I like to use a pair of kitchen scissors - then toss into a bowl.

Dress the eggplant with the vinegar, oregano, garlic, olive oil, pepper and chilli flakes (no salt needed – will already be salty enough) and toss. Difficult to say how much dressing but as a guide, enough oil and vinegar to coat all the pieces well, your ratio should be about 50% vinegar and 50% oil. Per eggplant you should maybe be using 2 big pinches of oregano and one small pinch of pepper and a small pinch of chilli. The smashed garlic will release its flavour when you toss the eggplant. You can discard the garlic before serving. Can be eaten immediately or within 2 days. Leaving it will help the flavours develop. 

No need to salt them - they'll be salty enough.

Toss and serve warm or cold. Keeps well covered in the fridge for two days or so. 

Don't forget to lick your plate.