As someone who often makes wrinkly-nosed judgy faces at “vegetarian options,” I have to say that my heart was once stolen by a roasted eggplant sandwich that a friend basically forced me to try. The sandwich was the most heavenly combination of smokey, creamy eggplant, roasted peppers, a bright, peppery basil pesto and delicate buffalo mozzarella cheese, tucked into a fresh and floury house-made ciabatta bun. I think about this sandwich, often. It follows me around. I have spent the better part of the last decade trying to replicate it because, sadly, the stupid delicious sandwich is only available at La Trattoria Café in Hong Kong.
Over the years, I’ve ditched the peppers entirely and made this sandwich just about the eggplant, which I have come to know as a magical vegetable — it can add body to pasta sauces and curries, it makes a delicious spread when roasted and pureed and can make a hearty substitute for meat when you’re looking for a lighter option. Others have found ways to use eggplant as a background ingredient, adding moisture and body to make turkey burgers that don’t suck. One of my favourite appetizers is a grilled eggplant “sandwich” my dad does for summer barbeques — thick slices marinated in herb-infused olive oil, with fontina and sage wedged between, grilled until melted and slighty charred on the outside.
There are a few tricks to getting eggplant right and avoiding the bitterness that can be off-putting to the eggplant haters. Younger eggplants will have fewer seeds, which are the main source of bitterness (though some insist it’s a gender thing, not an age thing: there is some debate about the superiority of “male” eggplants over their female counterparts — no joke. It’s a full-out food nerd vegetable controversy). This means picking the ones that are lighter in weight, with firm, shiny and unbroken skin. Salting the sliced eggplant prior to cooking (also known as “purging”) will also help draw out the bitterness and some of the moisture, and prevent it from absorbing too much oil and becoming greasy. Some recommend purging for up to an hour, but I find that 15-20 minutes will usually suffice. If the skin of your eggplant is very thick and tough, you could also peel it — but most varieties now are bred so that the skin can be left on.
For this sandwich, I grill the eggplant rather than roasting it, leave out the roasted peppers and sub in a savoury tomato compote. It’s not the same as the one at La Trattoria, but it’s just as craveworthy. You can easily use store-bought pesto (Sunflower Kitchen basil pesto is a favourite), but if you’ve got lots of basil kicking around, it’s pretty quick and easy to make your own. If you don’t want to use buffalo mozzarella, you could also melt some part-skim mozzarella by topping the bun with cheese and broiling it for a few minutes before assembling the sandwich. Try to get soft and floury rolls; ciabatta or foccacia are good options. For my grill-less friends: you can roast the eggplant in a 450F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until soft. These sandwiches are also a great summer picnic contribution and can be cut into quarters for appetizers.
Grilled Eggplant and Pesto Sandwiches
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
juice from 1 lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp chopped herbs (optional: basil, parsley, sage, mint — whatever you have on hand)
8 slices buffalo mozzarella or bocconcini (enough for 4 sandwiches)
4 tbsp basil pesto
4 soft ciabatta rolls, sliced
For tomato compote:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
pinch crushed red chilies
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1. Sprinkle both sides of slices of eggplant with salt and set aside while prepping other ingredients.
2. Make tomato compote: Heat olive oil, garlic and chilies in a small pan on medium low heat until garlic begins to sizzle and brown. Add tomatoes and stir, increasing heat to medium. Simmer until tomatoes begin to break down to a thick, chunky sauce. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Preheat grill on medium.
4. To make eggplant marinade, combine olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs with 1 tbsp Kosher salt and a few turns of fresh ground pepper. Whisk until emulsified.
5. Blot eggplant slices with paper towels to absorb water drawn out from the purging, then brush both sides with the marinade. Grill on medium heat until soft and cooked through, approximately 4-5 minutes a side.
6. To assemble sandwiches, spread pesto onto tops of rolls. On bottom, place a couple slices of eggplant, top with slices of cheese, then place a dollop of the compote over top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sara Chan is a newly called Toronto lawyer. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.