Recently, I mentioned to my mom that I had an eggplant in my fridge that needed to be used. She started telling me about a recipe that a friend had given her back when she was first married for broiled eggplant. She remembered it being delicious. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention when she told me about it, because if it had been that good, why was it not part of the menu rotation when I was growing up?
The original eggplant got put to other purposes, but this weekend I picked up two nice, firm, white eggplants this weekend at the farmers market, and so this recipe started niggling away at my consciousness again. I put it together tonight and nearly wept at my first bite as it was tender and sweet and crunchy and wonderful. I called my mother up as soon as my plate was clean to ask her how it was possible that she had known of this preparation for nearly 40 years and I was only eating it tonight. In some sense, I'm grateful for her recipe amnesia, if only because it contributed to a fun recipe discovery tonight. If you like eggplant, don't wait 40 years to make this dish. Broiled Eggplant (given to my mom by her friend Halimah back sometime in the early 1970's)
2 medium sized eggplants, sliced into half inch rounds
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (I use parchment paper because I imagine it is slightly more ecologically friendly than foil. I may be mistaken in this assumption, so don't quote me here). Lay the eggplant circles out so they don't overlap. Put into the hot over for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender. Spread each circle with a thin layer of mayo (if you don't like mayonnaise I recommend that you try it anyway. Once the eggplant is broiled, you don't taste it at all, it just adds moisture and a way to make the wheat germ and cheese stick). Sprinkle with the wheat germ, cheese, salt and pepper. Broil until browned. Eat as soon as you can because although it is good cold, it is transcendent warm.
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