About Summer Eggplant
boats with Feta
This is
a recipe that I cook every summer and it was slightly altered from year to year
until I finally got myself to write it down in 2007. It carries all the summer
scents and flavours that I love and it’s even tastier the next day, right out
of the fridge. This of course happens rarely since it’s too good for there to
be any left.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants
1 and a half onion
2 garlic cloves
220gr Feta
3-4 tbsp Olive oil
100ml white wine
40 sultana raisins
For garnishing
12 leaves of Fresh mint
6 cherry tomatoes
A cup of strained greek yogurt
PREPARATION
Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise. Remove the inner part
of each halve with a knife or a sharp spoon. You are creating an eggplant
‘boat’ with a wall thickness of around 1/3 of an inch (7mm). Cut out a thin slice of the peel on the bottom
of the ‘boat’ to create a steady base.
Brush the eggplants inside and out with olive oil and place
them on a baking tray. Pre-heat the oven at 180 C and keep the eggplants there
for about 15 minutes, then remove and leave to cool. Don’t worry if they look uncooked, you will
bake the eggplants for a second time, later.
As the eggplant ‘boats’ are in the oven gather the eggplant
crumb that you removed earlier and cut it to smaller pieces. Don’t overdo it or
you’ll end up with eggplant puree. ¾ of an inch pieces will do.
Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot, add the diced
onions and garlic cloves and fry for a few seconds. Add the eggplant crumbs and
stir the ingredients for a minute, in medium heat. Pour in the wine and let it
simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the sultanas. Turn off the heat but don’t
remove the pot from the stove. Now dice the feta and thinly cut the mint. Add
half the feta and half the mint to the pot. Remove it from the stove and stir
it softly a few times. We want the feta to flavour up the ingredients but not melt
completely.
Leave the contents of the pot to cool off a bit.
Now take a spoon and fill the eggplant ‘boats’ with the
content of the pot. Drop the other half of the diced feta on top and insert the
baking tray in the oven for a quick bake at 180 C. Just watch the oven and
remove the tray when you see the feta slightly melt and the edges turning a golden
brown. Leave the eggplants to cool off a bit.
Serve on the plates; add a generous dollop of yogurt,
decorate with cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with mint.
Καλή Όρεξη!
Bon Appetit!
