Stuffed aubergine
================= 2023-11-16


Comment: you can stuff eggplant with several types of meat: chicken, pork, beef, lamb. In each case we will choose one or more appropriate spices.
For chicken, cumin (or curry). For pork, pork sausage (sheboygan style) which is already spicy. For beef, a little paprika.
Choose eggplants that are not too large (~20 cm long). Normally 1/2 eggplant per person is enough.
Serve with rice for example.

6 persons

Ingredients:
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Common ingredients:

3 eggplants (see text)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tomatoes (medium), seeded and finely diced
1 chili pepper or jalapeno, seeded and chopped or a good pinch of cayenne pepper
90 g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
S + P

Chicken version:

550 g chopped chicken
2 teaspoons cumin or curry powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning


Pork version:

550 g sausage meat (seasoned)


Beef version:

550 g ground beef or beef/veal mixture
2 teaspoons of paprika


Preparation:
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Preheat the oven to 200C CT or 220C
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise
Make X cuts in the central part, without piercing the skin (to make it easier when scooping out the flesh.
A pinch of salt, a drizzle of EVOO on each half eggplant and in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes (the eggplants should just start to color).
Take them out of the oven. When they have cooled a little, using a tablespoon, scoop out the eggplant halves, leaving ~1 cm of flesh all around.
Reserve the removed flesh.

Reduce the oven to 160C CT or 180C.

Sweat the onions in a pan with a little EVOO and a pinch of salt.
When they are transparent, add the garlic and chili pepper, then after a few minutes, the minced meat and spices if using.
When it starts to cook, add salt, and add the reserved eggplant flesh and the tomato. Mix and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, check the seasoning.

Lightly salt and fill the eggplant halves with the meat mixture, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, then return to the oven for ~10 minutes.
Then turn on the grill for a few minutes to brown the cheese.