Potent, but delicious: easy marinated grilled eggplant

Eggplant is one of those foods that I always think I don't like, then I have it again, and I'm all, wait, I LOVE eggplant! Believe me, there are not many of these foods, and it usually goes the OTHER way. But I digress.

If you're an eggplant hater, this won't convert you. If you like eggplant, however, you will LOVE this, I promise. Well, assuming you also like garlic. I made this recipe up after having it at a dinner party many years ago. I don't think this is the actual recipe -- no, I I know it isn't -- but it's good. 

I've broken this down by individual eggplant -- so, this recipe works for one medium-size eggplant. If you add more, double, triple or whatever as you need to. 

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3-4 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes OR hot sauce of your choice, to taste
3 T sugar

Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise -- or, as I like to call it, the tall way -- and place in a single layer between OTHER layers of paper towels, salting each layer generously as you go. Let sit for about an hour. Yes, really. Yes, it will be fine unrefrigerated, I swear. 

In the meantime, bring all remaining ingredients to a boil for about two minutes, then remove from heat and let it hang out for a little while. 

Now, grill the eggplant. You could do this on a grill, but frankly, I think it gets too mushy and is a pain to do that way. So, I just throw them on a grill pan -- it still provides the lines! -- on high heat until they lose that spongy look and appear, well, cooked. 

Put them into the container of your choice, pour the marinade over the slices and refrigerate. As for what you do with it once it's done in a few hours? Well. You put it alongside salami, sharp provelone and other ingredients on an antipasto. You top salads with it. You eat it on a sandwich with some really good Italian cold cuts or some buffalo mozzarella and fresh-sliced tomatoes or just on its own on top of a crusty baguette, and you die happy, THAT IS WHAT YOU DO WITH IT. 

 

{Photo credit: Cookthink dot com}