We spent three months in Istanbul, Turkey. Constantinople, as sung in the old song.
Eggplant (or Patliçan, in Turkish – said “Paht luh jahn”) figures into many meals there. Here is my personal Turkish recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 eggplant
Cheddar cheese (grated)
Mozzarella cheese (grated)
Marinara (red) sauce
2 eggs
Bread crumbs
STEP BY STEP
Peel eggplant
Cut into 1/4 inch medallions
Beat the egg well
Dip medallions into egg, then bread crumbs
Fry over hot skillet in just a bit of oil
These can be stored for up to a week
When you are ready to cook, put aluminum foil onto a baking sheet, and place 3 medallions for each person on the foil
Spread a spoonful of marinara sauce onto the medallion
Put grated cheeses over top of the sauce
Bake about 10 minutes at 350 or until starts to brown
A GREAT side for this is Cacik (a cold Turkish yogurt/cucumber dish)
SPECIAL TIPS
Female eggplants generally have smaller seeds than male. Look for an eggplant with a smaller dimple on the end.
OTHER COMMENTS
When purchasing, an eggplant, it should be firm to the touch, but dimple slightly.
