Melanzane in Scapece

By LeeBoruchow

This marinated eggplant dish is incredibly refreshing. It can be served as a side-dish or with a salad of bitter greens.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs small eggplant (japanese preferred)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 20 mint leaves, roughly chopped
• zest of 1 medium orange
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Slice eggplants into rings, or if small enough, cut in half. Preheat broiler or grill.

Brush eggplant with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt. Grill or broil until deep brown on both sides. Transfer to a serving bowl.

In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, garlic, mint, zest, and the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Pour over the eggplant while hot and season aggressively with a heavy amount of pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes and serve.