Italian Eggplant Ragout Food

RAGù

Steps:

• To prepare the ragu start to peel the carrot with peeler or a knife, so as to remove the outer layer; do the same with a rib of celery, also removing the top and the bottom part of the stem, including leaves that will not be used for this preparation. Remove the outer layer of the onion and then cut it all into small cubes of uniform size and shape, in a way to ensure a perfect cooking. In a large saucepan with thick bottom pour the extra virgin olive oil and let it heat up. Add the diced celery, carrot and onion and cook for 15 minutes until the onion are slightly transparent and begins turning a golden color. Add the bacon, stir and cook for a few minutes. Add the minced meat, mix well all the ingredients together and let it cook over high heat for a few minutes. Deglaze with white wine, stir well and cook until the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the bottom will be dry, in this way you'll make evaporate the alcohol while maintaining only the aroma of the wine.In the meantime mix the tomato paste with half a glass of hot meat broth, in order to melt it. When the wine has evaporated add the broth in which you have melted the tomato paste, and add the tomato sauce; stir well and cover the pot with a lid. Now turn down flame on the stove at the lowest setting and cook for an hour. After an hour add salt and pepper and a few ladles of hot broth into the sauce, it's important to use only hot broth -and not cold- to avoid the interruption of the cooking of the sauce; cover with the lid and cook for another 3 hours, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon so that the ragù does not stick to the bottom. If you see that the ragù sauce dries too much during the cooking, add a ladle of hot broth when needed.

ROASTED EGGPLANT RAGU WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high flame and roast the peppers until charred on all sides. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a lid or towel and allow to cool.
• Use a knife to poke the eggplant in a few places to help steam escape while roasting so the eggplants won't explode in your beautiful kitchen. Please poke them :-)
• You can use the same skillet you roasted the peppers on to cook the eggplants or broil both the peppers and eggplants until charred. Allow them to charr nicely on all sides then transfer to a bowl until cool enough to handle.
• Use your hands to remove the peels from both the roasted peppers and eggplants and discard the core.
• Transfer to a cutting board and dice the peppers. Finely chop the eggplant and set aside until needed. (Alternatively you can use a food processor if you prefer a smooth texture, we like it more rustic).
• Preheat a large skillet or pot over medium flame. Add a splash of water and saute the onion until translucent. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook another minute or so until you can smell the fragrance.
• Stir in the smoked paprika, oregano and mushrooms and cook a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add in the roasted peppers, eggplant and the San Marzano tomatoes together with the red wine. Give everything a good stir and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes on low flame until the sauce has reduced and thickened to your liking. Season to taste with the sea salt.

MARIO'S EGGPLANT RAGU

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant with 1 tablespoon salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry and cut in 1/4-inch dice.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the eggplant, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cover. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and cook, uncovered, stirring, for 5 minutes. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the basil and let sit for 5 minutes before serving with pasta or polenta.

ITALIAN EGGPLANT RAGOUT

Steps:

• Scoop out center and seeds of eggplant halves; cut eggplants into 3/4 inch dice. Toss with salt in bowl; let stand for at least 20 minutes. Drain off and discard fluid that collects; rinse well; pat dry. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat; add onion; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplants; reduce heat to medium-low; cook 15 minutes, or until eggplants are tender but not mushy. Stir in capers and sugar; cook 2 minutes. Stir in parsley; season with black pepper. 6 servings.

ITALIAN EGGPLANT RAGOUT

Steps:

• Scoop out center and seeds of eggplant halves. Cut eggplants into 3/4 inch dice. Toss with salt in bowl and let it stand for at least 20 minutes. Drain off the fluid that collects, rinse well, and pat dry.
• Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and saute until softened (about 5 minutes.) Add garlic, and cook 1 minute more, or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplants. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes, or until eggplants are tender but not mushy.
• Stir in capers and sugar, and cook 2 minutes more. Fold in parsley, and season with black pepper.

EGGPLANT RAGOUT WITH CREAMY POLENTA RECIPE

Steps:

• Make the polenta: In a large pot, bring the water and the milk to a simmer. Using a whisk, slowly add the polenta, vigorously stirring to avoid clumps. Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook until the polenta is plump and swollen, not grainy, 40 to 50 minutes. Whisk every 7 to 10 minutes to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot or burns. Once the polenta is fully cooked, whisk in the cubes of cold butter one at a time until the butter is fully melted and emulsified into the polenta. Season with white pepper and kosher salt.
• While the polenta is cooking, prep the eggplant: Slice the heirloom baby eggplants into ½-inch-thick coins, and then roughly chop the large eggplant. Place the peeled eggplant in a food processor along with the garlic and shallots, and purée until smooth.
• In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup of the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot and the pan is just below smoking, add the coins of baby eggplant. Sear cut-sides down until deep golden brown, 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and reserve for later use.
• In the same sauté pan, heat ½ cup of the olive oil over low heat, add the eggplant purée and sweat until all the moisture has evaporated, 15 to 18 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and simmer until the wine has completely reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and break up the large tomato chunks with a wooden spoon. Mix in the reserved seared eggplant, lemon juice and honey, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the chiffonade of basil and parsley , the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Plate the eggplant ragout over the polenta; garnish with the Parmesan cheese, basil and oregano leaves, wild onion blossoms and a squeeze of a lemon wedge; and serve.