Dish du Jour Food & Wine Magazine and Queens Restaurant Guide > Recipes

(Serves 4)

This recipe makes for a delicious appetizer or side dish. The vegetable elements are a perfect complement to many entrees. Combining bits of many ingredients to create a flawless mixture, will no doubt impress your guests.

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant
1 tbsp white raisins
½ small onion, diced
2 small zucchini with skin on, diced
2 small red bell peppers, diced
¼ cup dry vermouth
4 tsp goat cheese
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
Truffle oil (white)
4 ramekins

Method: Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Cut each half into long slices about 1/8 of an inch thick. In a baking pan, pour a small amount of olive oil on the bottom of the pan and add the slices of eggplant. Brush each slice with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a 400°F pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool.

In a large sauté pan, heat about 4 – 5 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the diced onion and raisins together until the onion is slightly caramelized. Add in the zucchini, red pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Remove the pan from the burner, add in the vermouth and return to the burner, being careful as the vermouth might ignite. Cook for 5 – 6 minutes until the vegetables begin to get tender but not mushy. Remove from the stove and set aside.

Line each ramekin with slices of eggplant, making sure that you leave enough of the eggplant hanging on the outside of the ramekin. When you have the entire inside surface covered with eggplant, place a teaspoon of goat cheese on the bottom. Fill the rest of the ramekin with the vegetable mixture up to the top. Fold over the eggplant to cover the vegetables. Place the ramekins in a large baking pan to which water has been added. The water should come up the sides of the ramekins about a quarter of the way. Cover the entire pan with foil and place into a 400°F pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert each ramekin onto a serving dish to release the eggplant tortino. Drizzle with a little truffle oil and serve hot.