How to Make Stewed Eggplant and Roma Tomato Salad

Stewed eggplant and Roma tomato salad is a simple, warm salad with origins that can be traced back to early Italian and Spanish cooking. Combining fresh, seasonal ingredients is important when preparing this salad, so purchase the best produce you can find. Pair this salad with a loaf of hot Italian bread with extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar and a glass of full-boded red wine light on tannins. This salad is also delicious cold, making it ideal for picnics.

Things You'll Need

• Eggplant, sliced and salted to remove excess water
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp. full-bodied red wine
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Rinse the salt from the eggplant slices and pat dry with disposable kitchen towels.

2. Heat 5 tbsp. of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until extremely hot. Add a layer of eggplant slices and cook until golden brown, about three to four minutes. Flip the eggplant slices and cook until golden brown. Continue, in batches, until all the eggplant slices are cooked, reserving cooked slices on paper towels. Slice the eggplant into strips when cool enough to handle.

3. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to the same saute pan and cook the shallots over medium-high heat for four to five minutes or until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, garlic, wine and eggplant strips to the sauté pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Stir in the parsley and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large serving platter and serve immediately while steaming hot.

Resources

• The Food Network: Recipes and Cooking
• Gourmet: Recipes and Menus