2 medium size eggplant
5 eggs
3 cups seasoned flour (recipe to follow)
Olive Oil
1 cup riccotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Fontina Cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 lb Proscuitto
1/4 lb sliced Meunster Cheese
1 oz chopped flat leaf parsley
1 oz Chiffoned Fresh Basil
Coarse Kosher Salt
Homemade Marinara Sauce (see marinara blog post)
Seasoned Flour:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp ground tyhme
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
First take the 2 eggplants. Chop the ends off and peel the skin off.
Then cut lenth wise into thin slices. If you have a meat slicer or madolin it is much easier, and keeps all the slices uniform. If not, just use a serrated knife.
Lay the eggplant slices on sheet pans or parchment paper, then sprinkle the coarse kosher salt on top of each slice. This will bring the moisture out of the eggplant and will also make them less bitter.
Let them sit for about ten minutes, than remove the salt by dabbing the eggplant with a damp paper towel.
Now we will set up a breading station. Some people use breadcrumbs for this, I like to use a seasoned flour. Set up 3 trays. Put the seasoned flour in 2 of them, and 4 of the eggs in the 3rd.
We are now ready to bread the eggplant. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mix, then the eggs, then the flour. I like to do 4 or 5 at a time, cook them, then do 4 or 5 more. The flour seems to stay on them better if they don't sit for a while.
Now we cook the eggplant. Coat the bottom of a large skillet or frying pan with olive oil. Bring heat to med/ high. When the oil is hot enough, put 4 or 5 eggplants in. Don't put too many in. You don't want to crowd the pan. Fry on each side until the are brown and crispy, usualy about 2 and a half minutes on each side.
Set out paper towels and place the fried eggplant on them. This will soak up any excess oil. Sprinkle the cooked eggplant with salt. Repeat this process untill all the slices are cooked.
Now to make the filling. In a metal bowl combine the Ricotta, Fontina, Parmesan, Basil, Parsley, and remaining egg. With a spoon thoroughly mix the ingredients together.
Now it's time to assemble the rollatini! Take two pieces of eggplant and lay them next to one another, slightly overlapping. It will just kind of form 1 bigger eggplant piece. Now take a piece or two of the proscuitto, and layer it on the eggplant. Now, with a knife or spoon, spread a layer of the cheese mixture on top of the proscuitto.
It's time to roll! Gently roll the eggplant. Be careful not to roll to tight or the filling will fall out. Repeat this process untill all the eggplant is stuffed and rolled.
If you aren't going to eat the rollatini now, you can cover and refrigerate them. If you are gonna eat them now, and you will want to eat them now! This is the final step.
Set your oven to broil on high. Lay as many rollatini's as you need on a baking sheet lined with foil. Top each rollatini with two slices of Meunster cheese. Put them on the top shelf directly under the heat. Cook until the cheese is bubbly brown. Should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
Place one eggplant on a plate and top with homemade marinara sauce and some grated parmesan and some parsley. You can now dive in!
