Ingredients
2 medium-sized Japanese or Chinese eggplants
3T olive oil + ¼ cup olive oil
1/2 clove minced garlic
1 T lemon juice
1 T chopped basil, plus more basil for garnish
1 roasted red pepper, skinned, seeded and finely chopped
Sea salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Sourdough slices
1 ½ T olive oil
You will also need:
2 baking sheets
Pastry brush
Bowl for mixing
Potato masher
Serving platter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425oF.
Peel eggplants and chop into about 1” square pieces. Place onto a baking sheet and drizzle with 3 T olive oil. Mix to thoroughly coat the eggplant with olive oil. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until just soft. Remove from the oven and transfer the eggplant to a bowl. Mash lightly with a potato masher. Add the ¼ cup olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and basil. Stir well to combine. Add finely chopped red pepper and mix well. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Brush sourdough slices with the remaining olive oil. Bake at 425oF for about 10 minutes, until toasted. Remove from the oven and cover each slice with about 2 T of the eggplant mixture.
Serve on a festive platter.