Lunch: Grilled Marinated Eggplant

Recipe by Marco Canora Marinated eggplant makes a great antipasto, alone or as part of a larger spread. It also works as an accompaniment to grilled meat and fish. However you serve it, I strongly suggest you make sure to save enough for a sandwich. Coun

Ingredients

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian
1/4 teaspoon minced peperoncini or red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium eggplant (3/4 pound), peeled and sliced about 1/3" thick
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Finely chop the parsley with the capers and garlic. Add the oregano and peperoncini and chop everything together. Put the mixture in a bowl, stir in the oil, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.
Preheat an outdoor charcoal or gas grill or a grill pan until smoking hot.
Put enough eggplant slices on the grill to cover it without crowding. Cook the eggplant until well marked, 3 to 6 minutes, then turn the slices over. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes more. Remove the eggplant from the grill.
Pour the vinegar into a shallow bowl. While still hot, dip each eggplant slice into the vinegar and set it aside on a plate. Continue grilling and dipping the eggplant until all the slices are cooked and seasoned.
Spoon 2 tablespoons of the parsley mixture onto a platter and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Arrange half of the grilled eggplant on the parsley in a single layer. Smear each slice of eggplant with more parsley. Place a second layer of eggplant on top and spread the remaining parsley on it. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set aside to marinate at room temperature for about 2 hours (or refrigerate for longer). Serve at room temperature.

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