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.
SERVES
4
TO
6
Ingredients
Montreal Steak Spice
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) dried onion flakes, ground
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) black peppercorns, ground
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) chilli flakes
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) dried garlic, ground
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) coriander seeds, ground
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) dill seeds, ground
Eggplant
- 2 large eggplants
- Salt, to season
- 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon (10ml) tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) butter
- Oil, for grilling
Tomato Demi-Glace
- 2 pounds (908g) tomatoes, halved
- Olive oil, for grilling
- Salt and black pepper, to season
- 1 pound (454g) reserved eggplant scraps
- 9 oz (255g) celery
- 5 1/2 oz (150g) carrot
- 3 1/2 oz (100g) beets
- 2 oz (57g) shiitake mushrooms
- 4 1/2 oz (125g) onion
- 2 oz (57f) garlic
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) tomato paste
- 1 5x5-inch (12.5 x 12.5 cm) piece kombu
- 2 1/2 quarts (2.5L) water
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) corn starch blended with 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) tamari
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) Vietnamese mushroom powder
Serve
- Toasted pine nuts, to garnish
- Italian parsley, to garnish
Directions
- Preheat grill to high and oven to 450 F (230 C)
Montreal Steak Spice
- Combine onion flakes, peppercorns, chilli flakes, dried garlic, coriander, and dill seeds in a medium bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
Eggplant
- Slice eggplants into thick steaks, about one and a half inches (four centimetres) 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 one hour.
- In a medium-sized pot, combine soy sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and butter.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and remove it from the heat. Whisk to combine and reserve for basting.
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 tomato paste. Toss to combine well.
- Add the contents of the bowl to a roasting pan. Roast for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
- Transfer the roasted veggies to a stockpot, and 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 to 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 tamari, Vietnamese mushroom powder, salt, and pepper. Keep warm until needed.
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, six to eight minutes.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle with charred tomato demi-glace.
- Garnish with pine nuts and parsley.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
