CIA Professional Recipes

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CIA Recipes

Eggplant and Prosciutto Panini – Print This Recipe

Eggplant and Prosciutto Panini

Yield: 10 sandwiches

  • 8 3/4 oz/248 g ricotta cheese
  • 2 tsp/2 g chopped basil leaves
  • 1 tsp/2 g coarse-ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp/1 g chopped fresh oregano
  • 1 tsp/1 g chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 tsp/1.5 g salt
  • 10 Italian hard rolls
  • 5 fl oz/150 mL oil from marinated eggplant
  • 20 oz/567 g Marinated Eggplant Filling (recipe follows)
  • 1 lb 4 oz/567 g prosciutto, sliced thin

 

 

  1. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, basil, black pepper, oregano, parsley, and salt. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
    Sandwich Assembly: For each sandwich, split a roll lengthwise and brush the inside with oil from the marinated eggplant. Spread 1 oz/28 g herbed ricotta mixture on one half of the roll and top with 2 oz/57 g each eggplant and prosciutto. Top with the other half of the roll.
  2. Grill each sandwich, under a panini press if possible, until the bread is marked and the filling warmed through.

Variation:

Portobello mushrooms may be substituted in the Marinated Eggplant Filling and then topped with arugula before grilling to create a hearty variation for this sandwich.

 

Marinated Eggplant Filling

Yield: approximately 1 lb/454 g

  • 1 lb/454 g Italian eggplant
  • 1 tbsp/10 g salt
  • 16 fl oz/480 mL extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 1/2 fl oz/45 mL red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp/6 g dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp/2.5 g dried basil
  • 1 tbsp/6 g coarse-ground black pepper
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  1. Cut the eggplant into slices 1/8 in/3 mm thick. Layer slices in a colander, salting each layer liberally. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
  2. Rinse off bitter liquid and blot slices dry with absorbent paper towels.
  3. Mix remaining ingredients.
  4. Toss eggplant slices in marinade; cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Stir every day.

Chef's note:

The eggplant in this recipe is not cooked, so it needs approximately 3 days to marinate. This allows the eggplant to completely denature and take on an almost-cooked texture and flavor. The eggplant is ready when the flesh has become relatively translucent and no longer tastes raw.

 

Recipe taken from: Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen, 3rd Edition