Eggplant Agrodolce & Baked Cheese[Tomoko Nagao’s Potluck Recipe #18]- SPUR

Tomoko Nagao teaches us how to cook for someone when visiting friends or when everyone gets together. “The fun of potlucks is ingenuity. The ideal is to make it compact, serve it at your destination, and eat it, so that it ends neatly.” We will introduce you to recipes for sharing delicious times.

These two easy-to-make dishes feature autumn eggplant and are perfect for an aperitif or a light lunch.

“Eggplant is a vegetable that is easy to cook, and the way it is cooked changes the impression of its taste. I prepare agrodolce in advance and make a simple cheese bake on the spot. It’s refreshing to enjoy different dishes using the same ingredients.” Agrodolce is an Italian-style side dish with a sweet and sour flavor.

“You can also simmer it in red wine vinegar and sugar, but if you use balsamic vinegar, you can’t go wrong with it, and it has a rich flavor with just the right amount of sweet and sour. It’s delicious both hot and cold, and is perfect as an appetizer or side dish.” For the baked cheese, deep fry it in a little more oil.

“Judge the doneness by the color, and then use the residual heat. Prepare plenty of olive oil and batter.” It seems like a good idea to prepare one dish and take it with you, and cook the other dish on the spot.

“It’s easy for you and fun for everyone, so please give it a try.”

Eggplant Agrodolce and Grilled Cheese

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WHAT TO USE

1

Make the eggplant agrodolce. Cut off both ends of the eggplant, cut it in half lengthwise and cut into 2cm thick slices. Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and cut them into bite-sized cubes (if they are long and thin, cut them into thick rings). Cut off the stems of the Manganji peppers and cut them into 3cm pieces. Cut off the stems of the mushrooms and cut them in half lengthwise. Peel the garlic, cut it in half and remove the core. Wash the potatoes to be served as a garnish and start boiling them in water with the skin on.

2

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic in a pot and place over low heat. When it is hot, add the vegetables except for the eggplant, sprinkle with salt, and stir fry over medium heat. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 2 minutes. Place the eggplant on top, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle lightly with a little salt, and mix well. Add balsamic vinegar and simmer while stirring to evaporate the moisture. Turn off the heat when the vegetables are soft and a little broth remains.

3

When the potatoes in step 1 are soft and cooked, drain them, let them cool, peel them while they are still hot, and sprinkle with salt. Pack the ingredients for the agrodolce in step 2, the boiled potatoes, and the baked eggplant with cheese into a container.

4

Make the baked eggplant with cheese. Cut off both ends of the eggplant and cut into 5-6 pieces about 2.5 cm thick. Put the breadcrumbs into a tray or bowl, add about 30g of grated Parmesan cheese, and lightly add a pinch of salt and mix. Wet both sides of the cut sides of the eggplant with water and press them into the breadcrumbs with cheese to coat both sides evenly. Once they are all coated, arrange them on a tray or similar. Place a frying pan over low heat and heat about 1/4 of the olive oil. When it is hot, add the eggplants (you can do this in two batches depending on the size of the frying pan). When the bottom is golden brown, turn them over, check the condition, and pour olive oil between the eggplants while baking. Remove the cooked eggplants onto kitchen paper, drain the oil, and arrange them on a plate. Grate plenty of cheese over the eggplants with a grater or box and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Serve with agrodolce and garnish with boiled potatoes and bread.

A convenient grater for finely grating ingredients

“The basic type is made by a company called Microplane. If you have a block of cheese, it’s easier to grate it by placing the cheese on a cutting board and moving the grater over it.” The small one on the right is a Jacquard grater for spices like nutmeg. “It tastes especially good when grated just before eating, so I definitely recommend giving it a try.”

Food Coordinator Tomoko Nagao

Food coordinator. While working on magazines and books, she also runs the online store SOUPs, which sells original tableware and spice mixes. “From around autumn, I plan to start selling bright red compote, an idea I’ve been working on for a while. Please look forward to it.”

SOUPs

See more recipes by Tomoko Nagao