Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: Serves 4-6
Grilled Eggplant with Charred Tomato Demi
Eggplant is a blank canvas to absorb flavours; in this case the smoky notes of the grill infuse the tender flesh to pair well with the zingy charred tomato sauce.
Ingredients:
Montreal Steak Spice:
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) dried onion flakes, ground
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) black peppercorns, ground
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) dried garlic, ground
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) coriander seeds, ground
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) dill seeds, ground
Eggplant:
- 2 large eggplants
- Salt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) tomato paste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) butter
- Oil, for grilling
Tomato Demi-Glace:
- 2 pounds (908 g) tomatoes, halved
- Olive oil, for grilling
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound (454 g) reserved eggplant scraps
- 9 ounces (255 g) celery
- 5 ½ ounces (150 g) carrot
- 3 ½ ounces (100 g) beets
- 2 ounces (57 g) dried shitake mushrooms
- 4 ½ ounces (125 g) onion
- 2 ounces (57 g) garlic
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) tomato paste
- 1 5-x 5-inch (12.5 x 12.5 cm) piece kombu
- 2 ½ quarts (2.5 L) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) corn starch blended with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tamari
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Vietnamese mushroom powder
Garnish:
- Toasted pine nuts
- Italian parsley, chiffonade
Method:
Preheat grill to high and oven to 450 F (230 C)
For the Montreal Steak Spice:
Combine onion flakes, peppercorns, chili flakes, dried garlic, coriander, and dill seeds in a medium bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
For the Eggplant:
Slice eggplants into thick steaks, about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) crosswise. Save any trim for the charred tomato demi-glace (see above). Season well with salt.
Allow the steaks to sit and draw out moisture for 1 hour.
In a medium sized pot, combine soy sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and butter.
Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from the heat. Whisk to combine and reserve for basting.
For the Tomato Demi-Glace:
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt. Place cut-side-down on the grill and char until very dark. Set aside.
Roughly chop the eggplant trim, celery, carrot, beets, dried shiitakes, and onions into very small pieces.
Transfer all the chopped vegetables to a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and the tomato paste. Toss to combine well.
Add the contents of the bowl to a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
Transfer the roasted veggies to a stock pot, add the kombu and water. Bring to temperature, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until the flavours are well combined.
Strain the mixture into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half, roughly 35-40 minutes.
Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the reduced liquid and return to a simmer, stirring until the mixture has thickened to coat the back of a spoon.
Season the sauce with the tamari, Vietnamese mushroom powder, salt, and pepper. Keep warm until needed.
To Serve:
Pat the eggplant steaks dry. Brush them with oil and season well with the Montreal Steak Spice.
Grill over high heat, basting often with the soy-vinegar mixture.
Transfer the grilled eggplant to the oven. Bake until cooked through and tender, 6-8 minutes.
Transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle with charred tomato demi-glace.
Garnish with pine nuts and parsley.
Serve immediately.
