Sicilian Baked Eggplants with Capers & Tomatoes
The aromas given off as this dish cooks propel me right into the heart of my late Italian mother-in-law Mamma Rosa's kitchen.
All the ingredients in this classic dish grow in abundance in the hot Sicilian sun and are loaded with flavour. I've done a little cheat and used canned cherry tomatoes, and the result is amazing (use Italian canned tomatoes of course).
Choose a large roasting tin as you need plenty of room to turn the eggplant halves over after the initial cooking. Keep an eye on the temperature - a little bit of charring around the edges adds flavour, but don't let the topping burn.
Ingredients
- 4 x 190g small-medium eggplants
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup Italian, canned cherry tomatoes (I use Mutti brand)
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 3 Tbsp capers, drained
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 3 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs or panko crumbs
Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Trim eggplants and cut in half lengthwise. Score the cut surfaces with a sharp knife. Transfer to a large, shallow ovenproof dish lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with salt and grind over black pepper to taste.
- 2.
In a small bowl, mix tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, capers and basil. Spread mixture on eggplant halves, then sprinkle with crumbs. Turn over eggplant halves so they are crumb down in the dish.
- 3.
Cook for 30 minutes, then carefully turn them over with a metal spatula (if the topping gets a little messy, just stick it back on!). Cook for a further 10-12 minutes or until very tender.
