Charles –
July is my fav month since my birthday rolls around on the 30th and I get to enjoy these wonderful July recipes before the birthday cake candles are lit, and I am another year older.
Grilling is my favorite way of cooking fish and veggies, seems to me grilling brings out the woody flavor and freshness of the outdoors and eggplant, delicious cooked in many ways is always a tasty treat.
A bit of humor to add to the grille. A friend once served eggplant to guests which he cooked in several different Italian recipes. One of his dinner guests had never heard of eggplant and after the guest finished the meal, he commented how delicious everything was, but he could not taste the egg!
With that (amusing) little tidbit said, I wish you buono appetite!
Chef Nancy:
Summer is a short season in New England, so we like to get our grill parties in early!
This simple grilled fish accompanied by grilled eggplant filled with tomatoes and feta cheese is a step up from the usual grilled steaks, burgers and hot dogs.
The spice mixture gives the mellow and flaky halibut a little kick and forms a nice little crust when grilled. Finished with the buttery, garlicky sauce, it’s a perfect contrast to grilled and slightly bitter, eggplant.
I cannot remember how long I have been making these delightful eggplant rolls, but a platter of them are always welcome at any barbecue. The smell and taste of feta, tomatoes and mint, finished with a touch of olive oil and tomato and shallot salt – dreaming of a trip to Greece is the only way to describe it.
Enjoy these recipes the next time you are grilling with friends – and if you don’t have a grill, a grill pan works just as well!
Eggplant, feta and mint rolls
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 100 gr. feta, (7 or 8 TBS), chopped in small pieces
- 1 large round tomato or several cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Rivalsine l’ile de Re’ Fleur de Sel (for salting the eggplant)
- Rivalsine l’ile de Re’ tomate echalate salt (tomato and shallot salt)
Cut the eggplant into slices that are not too thick, as you will have to fold or roll them up.
Lightly salt them on both sides and then leave them to drain in a strainer or a bowl.
When they have sweated some of their bitter juice (it will be brownish in color) dry them well using paper towels.
Heat the griddle or grill and then grill the slices of eggplant until they have grill marks and have lost some of their liquid, about 3 minutes on each side. As you progress the grill will get hotter, and they will cook faster so keep an eye on them. Allow them to cool.
Wash and dice the tomato.
Lay a slice of eggplant on a plate. Assemble the rolls by placing two cubes of feta, two cubes of cherry tomatoes and a small piece of mint leaf in the center of each slice of eggplant.
Roll or fold them and lose them with a toothpick and season them with a drizzle of raw oil and a pinch of tomato and shallot salt.
Grilled Halibut
Spice Mixture:
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp Rivesaline Fleur de Sel Il de Re salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ½ tsp lemon zest (optional)
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (if you like a little heat)
- 1 lb halibut, or other firm, mild white fish
- 2-3 TBS good quality butter
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped in small pieces
- 2 TBS chopped parsley leaves
- 2 TBS Torre di Gamberaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mix the spices together in a bowl.
Melt the butter in a small saute’ pan together with ½ TBS extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped garlic and parsley. Warm the mixture until the garlic softens just a bit.
Heat the grill on high, then lower to medium -high and brush it with ½ TSP olive oil or more. Grill the fish skin side down for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Pour the butter mixture over the fish and turn over to grill the other side. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until flaky.
Flip onto a serving plate, skin side town. Drizzle with ½ TBS extra virgin olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt.
ENJOY!
