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Eggplant and Mozzarella Tower

17/11/2023

The eggplant and mozzarella tower is a delicious and fairly simple dish to prepare. It’s a Mediterranean-inspired recipe that is very suitable as an appetizer or main course. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggplants
  • 250 g of buffalo mozzarella (or fiordilatte)
  • Flour, as much as needed to dust the eggplants
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for frying and dressing
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Tomato sauce (optional for a richer variant)
  • Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

  1. Start by washing the eggplants, dry them, and cut them into slices about 1 cm thick. You can choose to cut them lengthways or into rounds, depending on your preference.

  2. Arrange the slices on a plate or tray and sprinkle them with a little salt. Let them rest for about 30 minutes so that they release their vegetation water and some of their bitter flavor.

  3. In the meantime, cut the mozzarella into slices and let it drain to eliminate excess liquid.

  4. After the resting time, pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels, then dust them with flour and shake them to remove the excess.

  5. Heat enough olive oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplants until they become golden and crispy. Drain them well and place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

  6. Now build the tower by alternating a slice of eggplant, a slice of mozzarella, a basil leaf, and so on until you reach the desired height. If you wish, you can also add a little tomato sauce between the layers.

  7. Finish the tower with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of pepper, and, if you like, a dusting of Parmesan.

  8. For an extra touch, you can put the towers under the grill in the oven for a few minutes until the mozzarella becomes stretchy.

Serve the towers warm or at room temperature, decorated with fresh basil leaves.

Curiosity

Even though the eggplant and mozzarella tower is a more modern and structured variant, it draws inspiration from the classic flavors of eggplant parmigiana, a traditional dish from the culinary heritage of Southern Italy. The technique of layering ingredients and the use of basil and mozzarella reflect the Italian love for fresh flavors and seasonality.