There is something about a recipe whose introductory remarks begin "[s]o simple, so fresh and so good for you." This is a dish that I made for my beautiful Angel, Clare, as part of my effort to make nutritious dishes from the pregnancy books that I found. The name -- Eggplant Caprese Napoleon -- caught my attention primarily because of the interesting combination of recipes that are brought together in this one little dish ... Caprese salads in the form of a Napoleon.
This recipe is more "Caprese" than Napoleon. It draws from all of the ingredients in a classic, Neapolitan Caprese salad: vine ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. It even includes a touch that I often add to my own Caprese salads ... balsamic vinegar. The salad ingredients are stacked as layers, which draws its inspiration from the classic French Napoleon, a dessert featuring layers of puff pastry and filling.
The Caprese salad is actually "sandwiched" between two slices of eggplant. The recipe calls for the eggplant to be grilled. However, it does offer the option of broiling the eggplant slices, which is the option that I chose on this particular occasion. Broiling the slices worked well, but it does not leave the classic grill marks on the slices that would have definitely added to the presentation. Next time, I'll grill the eggplant.
EGGPLANT CAPRESE NAPOLEONS
Recipe from Healthy Eating During Pregnancy, at pg. 68
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a little more to finish
1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large heirloom or other flavorful, ripe tomato,
cut into 4 slices
4 ounces pasteurized buffalo mozzarella cheese,
cut into 4 slices
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Freshly cracked black pepper
Directions:
1. Prepare the eggplant. Preheat the grill or the broiler. Slice off and discard the top and bottom of the eggplant and slice the remainder into 8 slices. Season with the salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Using a basting brush or spoon, brush the eggplant with garlic oil. Grill or broil the eggplant until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes total. If you broil the eggplant, make sure that it is not too close to the flame and watch it carefully to make sure it does not burn.
2. Make the Napoleons. On a serving platter, arrange 4 grilled or broiled eggplant discs. Top with a layer of tomato, a layer of mozzarella, and a final layer of eggplant. Set aside.
3. Make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring the vinegar to a boil and reduce to a syrup, watching carefully to make sure that it does not burn, about 4 minutes. Carefully drizzle the syrup over the 4 napoleons, adding extra drops on the platter for decoration. Sprinkle the basil atop the stacks and around the platter and sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
After a great meal of Camarao Mozambique and Matata, I depart from Mozambique to the location of my next challenge ... the country of Uruguay. A relatively small country in South America that has long coastlines and only one land border, which it shares with Brazil. The indigenous people of Uruguay (i.e., before Spain's colonization of the area) are the Charrúa people. Although the Charrúa settled in Uruguay, the Guaraní ultimately provided the country with its name. "Uruguay" is named after Uruguay River; however, the word "Uruguay" means "River of Painted Birds" in the Guaraní language.
Uruguay's location has greatly influenced its cuisine. Most notably, the country's proximity to Argentina and Brazil may very likely be the reason why Uruguayan cuisine is very beef-centric. Brazil has also contributed other ingredients to Uruguayan cooking, such as beans, coconut, rice and manic. In addition, the country's history as a Spanish colony has also left its mark on the dishes and cooking techniques of the Uruguayan people. The Spanish are not the only Europeans to have influenced Uruguayan cuisine. Waves of immigrants -- from Portugal, France, Italy, England and Germany -- have contributed in various ways to the food, beer and wine that are enjoyed both in homes and restaurants.
During my research for this challenge, I narrowed down the potential main courses to two iconic Uruguayan dishes: Steak Milanesa and Chivitos al Pan. Steak Milanesa is akin to country fried steak ... a rather thin cut of beef, breaded and fried to a delicious golden brown. The dish is very popular in Uruguay, as well as in Argentina. By contrast, Chivitos al Pan is uniquely Uruguayan. It is more than simply a steak dish. It is an gastronomic experience ... slices of filet mignon, bacon, and ham piled on top of each other, along with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, hard boiled egg, olive tapenade and red peppers. All of these ingredients are held into place with a generous slathering of mayonnaise and bookended with a big roll. This dish is so popular in Uruguay that it is sometimes referred to as the "national dish." With such a pedigree, how could I turn down the challenge to make my own Chivitos.
MAIN COURSE
So, for this challenge, I am making Chivitos al Pan, the sandwich version of the dish. (Chivitos al plato is a more "formal" version with all of the ingredients served on a dish). The story behind the Chivito takes on almost a legendary quality. On day, more than fifty years ago, a woman walked into a restaurant called "El Mejillon" in Punta del Este, which is a famous summer resort. The woman went to the owner and asked, something like "quiero comer la carne de chivito" or "I would like to eat some baby goat meat." The owner did not have any goat meat to serve. Instead, he prepared a sandwich with a list of ingredients that resemble the shopping list for an average family. The owner called the dish "Chivito" or "baby goat."
The first time I heard about Chivitos was while I watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Tony and his brother visited Chiviteria Marcos to try what Tony called a "mind-scrambling sandwichness," and "the gift that keeps on giving." Here is a clip from that episode:
Having watched Tony devour what can only be described as a carnivore's dream, I wanted to create my own truly Uruguayan Chivitos experience. Rather than hop the first flight to Montevideo, I decided that I would incorporate it into my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge. I did a lot of research to focus on the ingredients that are critical to making a Chivito. I scoured recipes, many of which seemed rather conservative compared to what I saw on No Reservations. As you watch the clip, you did not see one slice of ham or one slice of cheese. Instead, you saw slices of meats and cheeses, with toppings added.
A couple of notes about this recipe. Filet mignon is cut in small pieces. In order to make the beef "wide" enough for the sandwich, I suggest that you slice the beef in quarter inch slices. Place one slice between two sheets of plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin, gently begin to "roll" the meat. Use the rolling pin once, turn the meat 90 degrees, and use the rolling pin again. Repeat until the slice of filet mignon is thin and even. Then repeat this process with each of the remaining slices. In addition, I just wanted to note that the olive tapenade can be either green or black olives, or a combination of the two. I used a spicy tapenade made by the Louisiana Sisters, which was given to me as a gift by Clare's parents.
Ingredients:
1 large sandwich bun, like a ciabatta roll
2 thin slices of filet mignon
2 slices of ham
2 slices of mozzarella cheese
3 slices of bacon
1/2 cup of sliced onions
1-2 slices of tomato
1-2 slices of lettuce
2 tablespoons of diced olives or olive tapanade
1 egg, fried or hard boiled
4 slices of red pepper
A good amount of mayonnaise
Directions: 1. Prepare the hot toppings (bacon and onions). Fry the bacon in a pan until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and add the onions and fry then onions until golden brown. Heat the broiler.
2. Saute the filet mignon. In a clean pan, saute the filet mignon for about one minute and then flip. Remove and set aside.
3. Construct the Chivito. Place the steal on the lower bun. Add the ham, bacon, onions, bacon, tomato, red peppers, lettuce, cheese, tapenade and egg. (In the alternative, you can place everything under the cheese.) Place the sandwich under the broiler until the cheese begins melt. Once the cheese begins to melt, remove the sandwich from the broiler. Slather the top of the bun with mayonnaise and place it on top of the sandwich. Serve immediately.
Before this challenge, my favorite sandwich was the Philly cheesesteak. After this challenge, my favorite sandwich is the Chivito. Although a cardiologist may recommend that I only have one Chivito per year, the wait is truly worth it.
In the end, I only made the main course as part of this challenge. I did not make an appetizer, soup, salad or even a drink. I am fine with that because the main course included all of the food groups and doubled down on the meat group. Well, until next time ...
The Insalata Caprese or Caprese Salad -- with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil -- is perhaps one of the most well known "salads" to come out of the Campania region in Southern Italy. It is not so much a salad as it is an appetizer.
The appetizer was created by a small restaurant on the island of Capri during the 1950s for customers who wanted a light lunch. Those customers would ask for a tomato and some mozzarella cheese. Later, the restaurant added arugula leaves (or basil leaves) on top of the tomato and cheese. And, right before serving it, the restaurant would dress the "salad" with olive oil.
A great Insalata Caprese depends upon the freshness and quality of the ingredients. First, only vine-ripened, fresh tomatoes should be used. Look for tomatoes that have a good red color, with no bruises. Second, only fresh mozzarella should be used. Never use cheese that has been processed in any way. Third, look for fresh basil leaves, preferably large leaves with no black spots or other blemishes.
Ideally, the presentation should consist of one slice of tomato, one slice of mozzarella cheese and one big basil leaf. However, in reality, it is hard to find a tomato that has the same diameter as a batch of Mozzarella cheese, let alone to find a basil leave that is large enough to cover the tomato and the cheese. So, this is where a little creativity may be helpful, as is shown by the recipe below.
INSALATA CAPRESE
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 medium sized, vine-ripened tomatoes
1 batch of Mozzarella cheese
1 package of fresh basil
2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Prepare the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes about one-quarter of an inch thick. Try to ensure that all of the tomato slices are about the same size. As for the slices that are too big or too small, just eat them as you prepare the dish.
2. Prepare the cheese. Slice the Mozzarella cheese into quarter of an inch slices. Then cut each slice into halves or quarters depending upon the size of the cheese. Place two to three slices of each cheese on the tomato, stacking them if necessary.
3. Prepare the basil. Chiffonade the basil leaves (i.e., cut them into long, thin strips). To do a chiffonnade. Take all of the basil leaves and stack them starting with the largest leaf on the bottom to the smallest leaf on top. Roll the leaves tightly and then slice the leaves carefully, working from one end to the other. Sprinkler the sliced basil leaves on top of the cheese.
4. Finish the dish. Grind pepper over the tomatoes, cheese and basil. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, cheese and basil.
Now, this is technically the end of the recipe; however, I usually add one more twist to the salad ... I add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Traditionally, the addition of vinegar is frowned upon because of the effect that vinegar may have on the taste of the cheese. However, I find that balsamic vinegar (as opposed to red wine vinegar or other types of vinegar) adds a sweetness to the salad that is very good. And, I really love balsamic vinegar. So, if you want, drizzle a little of some good balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes, cheese and basil.
ENJOY!
For more about the origins of the salad, check out Epicurious.
Last year, I undertook an effort to make ravioli for the first time. I came across a recipe for Ravolini de Pescatrice (Fish Ravioli) in a magazine and I thought it would be an interesting dish to make.
This recipe was not your typical ravioli, with meat and cheese ground so finely that you have a hard time telling which is the meat and which is the cheese. Instead, it involved the stacking of fresh ingredients -- eggplant, cheese, fish, and tomato -- onto freshly made pasta and then covering the pasta with another sheet to make the ravioli. This is not an easy dish to make.
While my first attempt was a success, my second attempt failed miserably. Still, when properly done, it is a very tasty and different dish.
RAVIOLINI DE PESCATRICE
Adapted from a recipe provided by Saveur Magazine
Serves at least 4
Ingredients (for the pasta):
2 eggs
5 cups of all purpose flour
Hand crank pasta maker
Ingredients (for the Raviolini):
1/2 pound of halibut
1 small to medium sized eggplant, sliced thinly
1 small to medium sized tomato, sliced thinly
Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil
1 garlic clove, diced
4 to 6 tablespoons of Olive Oil (at least)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. The first task is to make the ingredients for the raviolini. Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan at medium heat. Slice the larger bottom end of eggplant into thin slices, trying to get as many same-size slices as possible. Salt and pepper the slices. Add garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the eggplant slices and saute the slices until they become tender, which will take several minutes. Remove and let cool. Use a paper towel to remove any excess oil or moisture from the eggplant slices (this is important to minimize the amount of moisture of the contents of the ravioli to preserve the pasta).
2. Slice the tomato into as many same size slices as possible. Use a paper towel to remove any excess moisture from the tomato slices. Also slice the mozzarella into as many same sized slices as possible.
3. Slice the halibut into evenly sized pieces. Salt and pepper the halibut. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a new pan and heat at medium heat. Add the halibut and saute until halibut is mostly cooked . Remove and let cool down. Then use a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Put all of the raviolini ingredients in the fridge.
4. It is time to make the pasta. Take four cups of flour and make a mountain. Then make a crater in the middle of the mountain with your fingers. Crack two eggs into the crater. Using a fork, begin to beat the eggs gently, occasionally mixing in flour from the rim of the "volcano" or its outside edges. Continue to add flour until the pasta starts to come together. Once you can form it into a ball in your hands, place the pasta on a flat surface that is covered with flour. Shape the pasta into a rectangle. Begin to knead the pasta with the palm of your hand, adding flour to wherever it feels sticky. After about ten minutes of kneading, check the pasta to make sure that there are no sticky spots. Wrap the pasta in plastic wrap and let sit for about ten minutes.
5. Set the pasta maker on the widest setting. Split the pasta in half. Run the pasta through a couple of times. Then move the setting to the next setting and run the pasta through. Move the setting to the next setting and run the pasta through. Keep moving through the settings but stop before the last one.
6. Now you should have two sheets of pasta. And it is now time to start assembling the raviolini. Place the ingredients in the following order: eggplant, mozzarella, halibut and tomato. Make sure to leave a lot of space between each stack of ingredients to ensure that you will have enough pasta to complete the raviolini. Then place the other sheet of pasta over top. Gently press down around the edges. Take a knife and make a cut to create individual raviolini. Take a fork and press down along all of the edges of each raviolini.
7. Put a pot of water on high heat. When the water begins to boil, add the raviolini, one at a time. Let the raviolini cook in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Remove the raviolini from the heat.
8. To serve the raviolini, I would drizzle olive oil over them, and then grind black pepper over the raviolini. If you have left over halibut, I would saute the halibut, break it up and sprinkle it over the raviolini. You can also add a basil leaf for garnish.
