Eggplant With Ham Stuffing

* Exported from MasterCook *

EGGPLANT WITH HAM STUFFING

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main dish Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 tb Butter
1 1/2 c Onions, finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, finely minced
1 lb Fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3 tb Parsley, finely chopped
1/2 ts Dried Thyme
2 tb Basil, finely chopped
1/2 lb Boiled ham, finely chopped
10 tb Fresh bread crumbs
7 tb Parmesan cheese, grated
3 Med. eggplants (2 1/2 lb)
Flour
Tomato Sauce *
1 c Peanut, veggie, or corn oil

1. Heat the butter and add the onions and garlic.
Cook, stirring, until onions are wilted, about 5
minutes. Add the mushrooms, lemon juice, salt,
pepper, parsley, thyme, and basil. Cook over
relatively high heat, stirring frequently, until the
liquid has almost completely evaporated, 8 to 10
minutes. 2. Add the ham and cook, stirring, about 4
minutes. Add 6 T bread crumbs and 3 T Parmesan cheese.
3. Trim off the ends and cut each eggplant into 1/2
inch slices. You should have about 16 slices. 4. Pour
the flour into a baking dish and add salt and pepper
to taste. Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour
mixture on both sides, shaking off the excess. 5.
Heat about 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy skillet and
add as many eggplant slices as the skillet will hold.
Cook until golden brown on one side, 1 1/2 to 2
minutes, adding more oil, little by little. The point
is to add as much oil as necessary but as little as
possible. Turn the slices, cook until golden on that
side, and drain on paper towels. Continue adding
eggplant slices and oil as necessary until all the
slices have been cooked on both sides. The total
cooking time for all slices should be about 15
minutes. 6. Select a rectangular, square, or oval
baking dish. (A No. 6 Pyrex glass dish that measures
11 3/4 X 7 1/2 X 1 3/4 inches works well.) Arrange the
smaller slices of eggplant, sides touching, on the
bottom of the dish. Spoon the filling in the center,
spreading it out but not quite to the edges and
mounding it in the center. Cover with the remaining
eggplant slices, overlapping as necessary. 7. Blend
the remaining bread crumbs and cheese and sprinkle
over all. 8. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400
degrees. 9. Place the dish in the oven and bake 35 to
40 minutes. Remove the dish and pour off the fat that
will have accumulated on top and around the edges. Let
cool slightly. 10. Serve with tomato sauce.

* Tomato sauce:

2 T butter, 1 1/2 T finely chopped onion, 1/2 t finely
minced garlic, 2 c canned tomatoes that have been
blended or sieved, 1/4 bay leaf, salt to taste, pepper
to taste.

Melt 1 T butter in a saucepan and add the onion and
garlic, stirring. When the onion is wilted, add the
tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring
occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Swirl in the remaining 1 T butter and serve hot.

Yield: About 2 cups



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -