Recipe - Roasted Eggplant Batons With Balsamic Sauce

BATONS
1 One half pound Eggplant; stems removed, or
3 thin
Three fourths cup Bread crumbs
One half cup Grated ParmigianoReggiano
1/8 teaspoon Dried sage; crumbled
One half teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Three fourths cup Unbleached flour
2 Eggs; lightly beaten

SAUCE
3 tablespoon Extravirgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh parsley
1 Clove garlic; crushed
1/8 teaspoon Salt
One half pound Arugula leaves; for garnish

1~ Preheat broiler. Cut each eggplant into 1/2inch slices. Cut each slice
into 1/2inch sticks. Place the bread crumbs in a bowl with the cheese,
sage, and black pepper. Stir to mix. Place the flour and the eggs in
separate bowls.

2~ Dip each eggplant stick first into the flour, shaking off any excess,
then into the eggs, and finally, into the bread crumbs. Place on a greased
baking sheet and broil about 4 inches from the heat, for 5 minutes. Turn
and broil 2 minutes longer or until golden.

3~ Meanwhile, place all the sauce ingredients in a small, nonreactive
saucepan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until
thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

4~ Place the sauce in a serving bowl and center on a platter. Surround with
arugula, cover with eggplant batons arranged in a star pattern and serve.

Bastoncini di Melanzana al Balsamico. Serves 4, takes 60 mins with
moderate difficulty. Description: This is a dish from my childhood,
although at that time, the eggplant batons were fried in olive oil instead
of broiled. I remember loving the crisp texture but wishing that the flavor
of the eggplants were more noticeable. This recipe is my solution to that
delimma as well as another excuse for using balsamic vinegar. AB

Recipe from SOLO VERDURA, by Anne Bianchi (1997 Ecco Press) Edited by Pat
Hanneman mcPER SERVING 40% cff: 387 cals; 17.4g fat

Recipe by: SOLO VERDURA, by Anne Bianchi

Posted to MCRecipe Digest by KitPATh phannema@wizard.ucr.edu on Mar 16,
1998