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My Mother’s Stuffed Eggplant

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As you can tell from the lasagna of a few posts ago and now this dish, my mother has been busy cooking of late. It’s not that we’ve got her chained to the stove or anything, it’s just that this time of year is the showcase for so many of her very best recipes. Garden fresh tomatoes make the best puree for her lasagna and now, the pint-sized eggplant making their first appearances of the summer are perfect for a much-loved family dish:  stuffed and fried eggplant.

Like so many of our treasured family recipes, my mother learned to make this from her own mother. My grandmother’s stuffed eggplant were legendary and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to watch her prepare them many times. Too often, especially when we’re young, we tend to ignore the rituals of the kitchen and as a result, watch helplessly as so many precious culinary traditions fall by the wayside. Happily, this will not happen with stuffed eggplant!

Dscn2756_1As with all traditional family dishes, this isn’t exactly a snap to make but believe me when I say the time and effort are worth it. The ingredients are very simple. You start with beautifully purple-skinned baby eggplant that are sliced in half and boiled until the flesh is soft. Once the eggplant have cooled, the flesh is carefully removed from the skin so as to leave the skin intact. To the flesh of those eggplant is added cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. The flesh is then stuffed back into the eggplant skins and the entire lot is fried. I dare you not to eat more than one!

When choosing the eggplant for this dish, be sure to choose ones that are firm, purple and without marks on the skin. The eggplant should be about 5 to 6 inches in length. A useful tip that we’ve picked up from Alice Waters’ incredibly helpful Chez Panisse Vegetables is that eggplant should not be refrigerated (something we used to do all the time). Waters recommends keeping eggplant in a cool place in the house if you’re not going to use them right away. The practice of salting eggplant to draw out bitterness is not necessary here.

My mother made a huge batch of these for a recent family party and they were gone in minutes. We sometimes wonder if it’s worth all the work when the end result is devoured so quickly. But when we think about the continuation of this family dish and how much pleasure it brings to all of us, the efforts are so worth it!

Ciao!

Stuffed Eggplant

Treasured family recipe.

  • Dscn27418 small eggplant
  • 1 large eggplant (the flesh of this eggplant is added to the flesh of the small eggplant)
  • 1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1-1/2 cups Crotonese cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • vegetable oil
  1. Wash and dry eggplant. Cut in half lengthwise and place in a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water (the water should cover the eggplant) and bring to a boil.
  2. Dscn2750Once the water boils, lower the heat to medium and cook the eggplant for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, test that the eggplant are done by removing one and with a fork, see if the flesh separates easily from the skin. If so, the eggplant are ready. Remove from the heat and add cold water to stop the cooking process.
  3. Carefully drain the eggplant and leave in a colander until the eggplant are cool enough to handle.
  4. Once they have cooled, carefully remove all of the flesh from the eggplant skin, being sure Dscn2752 not to tear the skin. Put the eggplant flesh in a colander to drain and place the skins, cut side down, in one layer on paper towels to drain and dry.
  5. After 30 minutes, take the eggplant flesh and squeeze out any excess liquid.
  6. Place the flesh on a cutting board and with a knife, roughly chop the flesh until it’s been chopped into very small pieces. Place the flesh in a large bowl.
  7. To the bowl, add the breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic, pepper and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined. Taste a bit of the mixture and adjust the seasoning according to your own tastes.
  8. Turn the eggplant skins so that the cut side is facing up. With a spoon, measure out a few Dscn2760 scoopfuls of flesh into each eggplant skin. This is a way to ensure that the flesh is evenly divided between the skins before you stuff them. Once this is done, you can begin fashioning the stuffed eggplant.
  9. Pick up each skin and smooth out the flesh so that it fully fills each eggplant skin.
  10. In a large frying pan, add the vegetable oil until it comes an inch up the side of the pan. Heat Dscn2764 the oil. Once it’s hot, add 4 eggplant, stuffed side down and fry until golden. This should take 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the eggplant and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the the remaining eggplant until they’re all fried.
  11. Arrange the eggplant on a platter and sprinkle with some Crotonese before serving.
  12. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe will yield 16 stuffed eggplant halves. Crotonese is a pungent cheese made of sheep’s milk. It comes from the town of Crotone in Calabria. The Crotonese’s strong flavour compliments the eggplant very well.

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41 Comments

Lisa

08/20/06 at 3:01 pm

Wow.. another “drooler”! I love fried eggplant, but have never had it stuffed and fried - I’ll be trying this recipe soon as well! Again.. thanks so much to you and your mom for sharing these fabulous recipes! *hugs*

Callipygia

08/20/06 at 3:06 pm

Now that is the “look of love”. Fried lovliness-

Diane Catalano Rodriguez

08/20/06 at 4:45 pm

My family is from Calabria too–but our stuffed eggplant is made with ground veal and anchovies, then baked with tomato sauce. I’ll have to try the fried version soon; it looks delicious.

Buon appetito!
Diane

Tanna

08/20/06 at 5:12 pm

From your grandmother and your mother, a recipe can’t be any better.
It looks really wonderful. The baby eggplants I saw at the Saigon Market would be perfect for this recipe.

Baking Soda

08/20/06 at 5:18 pm

Oh my, it is late at night here and I’m drooling all over my keyboard..

peabody

08/20/06 at 5:21 pm

Eggplant is one of my favorites to have.
It is so true that you really do disregard all the great things our mother’s were doing in the kitchen when we were kids…I was too busy trying to sneak a cookie to “ruin” my appetite. :)

cj

08/20/06 at 5:53 pm

I can not get Crotonese cheese where I live (and I definitely can not get Pecorino). What do you suggest to use as a substitute? Thanks.

connie

08/20/06 at 6:21 pm

thank you for sharing a family favorite… tried and true. and step by step pictures!

Kat

08/20/06 at 7:51 pm

what a treasure!

Geneve

08/20/06 at 7:59 pm

I love the family recipes that you share - they are so special. This one sounds incredible. I’ve started seeing all kinds of eggplants at the market here - I really must try this recipe!!!

Ellie

08/20/06 at 9:05 pm

Ohhhh, that sounds so, so good! Looks like the perfect impressive dish for a dinner party!

Anni

08/20/06 at 9:19 pm

Ciao, Ivonne!

Hmmm…I wonder if the same puréed tomato sauce for the lasagna will compliment these beautiful
bundles of “berenjena” (Spanish).

If the tomato was the Queen of the Italian garden, surely the malanzana would be the honored matriarch that would make her so. Naturally, Basilico is our Prince!

Thank you, again for sharing your family recipes.

Tootles,
Anni :-)

Barbara Herring

08/20/06 at 10:26 pm

What a wonderful way to use the abundance of eggplant in my garden. I too need a substitute cheese. Help, please. Your photography skills (as well as your cooking)continue to amaze me.

Natalia

08/20/06 at 11:24 pm

Oh no, I could not eat just one of them. I think I could probably eat the whole lot! Sounds absolutely wonderful, Ivonne!

jasmine

08/20/06 at 11:37 pm

Oh my–this looks wonderful.

I think I’m one of the few people in my circle who actually likes aubergines…which is fine…more for me :)
j

ParisBreakfasts

08/21/06 at 12:09 am

OMG! Your food is MONUMENTAL! I thought trekking was strictly for the French, but I want to trek all over your food..sounds nuts I guess –but it’s like dream food :) I dreamed I was napping on a blueberry waffle etc.

hag

08/21/06 at 1:05 am

I am always trying to find good eggplant recipes…yours (or your mum’s) has been added to the all to short list. It looks great! I bet it tastes even better!

Monisha

08/21/06 at 1:40 am

Hi Ivonne -
Stuffed Eggplant looks delicious - especially being a family recipe, I trust it to be comforting and a sure pleaser, definetely something I will be trying out soon.

Thanks for sharing !

Rosa

08/21/06 at 2:37 am

Thanks for sharing this step by step treasured family recipe with us!

I love eggplants and I must say that your recipe has attracted all my attention! It really sounds like a great recipe that would be very successful…

I’ll try it very soon!

Francesca

08/21/06 at 4:57 am

che bontà Ivonne ;P anche per le lasagne postate prima. Evviva le ricette della mamma

Deb

08/21/06 at 7:18 am

Hey Ivonne! I’m crazy about your mom’s recipes. Thanks so much for posting them. This was great–especially the step-by-step photos. Really helpful.

I’ve been posting a series of my mom’s recipes at Cooking for US: http://www.cookingfor.us/catalog/more-organic-t-6.html?osCsid=cfdf7b0cc1a00e367d5f433675f8848e

Please let me know what you think!

Best,
Deb

Julie

08/21/06 at 9:47 am

Ivonne,
I love eggplant. I am sure these disappear instantly when served at a party, but they are surely worth the effort! I’ve never fried stuffed eggplant, only baked, so perhaps I’ll do it this way next time I’m feeling indulgent. I also know what you mean about preserving those family recipes. I am happy that I got to watch my grandmother cook her sweet bread, eastern european pastries and savory dishes like stuffed cabbage. My mom just doesn’t have a feel for cooking like my grandmother. Now I’m feeling quite nostalgic!

Sue Vancil

08/21/06 at 9:55 am

Your Mom can come cook for me anyday! That dish looks so good and special since it is a family recipe! Can’t wait to see what your Mom cooks up next.

Bruno

08/21/06 at 11:17 am

Hi Ivonne,

I’m not a big fan of eggplant, but your pictures were great. I love the step by step shots!

One eggplant dish that I do like is my mom’s recipe for mousaka… it was awesome and plate lickin’ good!!

Bruno

Kate

08/21/06 at 1:18 pm

thank you for giving me something to do with the heaps of eggplant that keep showing up in my CSA! This looks divine =)

Helen

08/21/06 at 2:02 pm

Oh my! The lasagna, now the eggplants, food of love with me. I wish eggplants here were a little bit tastier but this is probably a great dish to boost up their flavor. Thank you for sharing this with us!

Dianka

08/21/06 at 3:37 pm

Wow, what an amazing recipe! I love this idea, thank you for sharing!!

Orchidea

08/21/06 at 4:07 pm

Che buone… mia mamma fa le melanzane impannate e sono buonissime.
Ciao.

Andreea

08/21/06 at 4:19 pm

aren’t eggpants (aubergines as they call them here) the best? i equally love stuffed bell peppers as well. your recipe sounds delicious. just perfect for my apres-holiday inspiration :)

Anna Maria

08/22/06 at 12:40 am

Hello Ivonne,
this has nothing to do with your current post, but Alicia of Posie Gets Cozy linked to your July post about the berry drink today, and I just had to tell you what a wonderful color that is and how much I enjoyed reading your piece about picking the cherries and berries.
I was raised in Italy (Italian mother American father) and we still have the place my father bought in the region of Puglia in the 70’s and where he planted so many different varieties of trees, which he tended with passion. My parents are both gone now, and the place is very neglected, but my brother and I hope to go there in 2007 and get some serious work done on it. I have never wanted to let go of it because of the connection I have to my father through it. Like you I equate gardening with my father, and cooking with my mother.
Now I am going to enjoy exploring more of your blog.
Thank you.

Melissa

08/22/06 at 11:45 am

Mm, this is my kind of recipe - eggplant, cheese, garlic and everything fried! I’m also curious what I could substitute for the Crotonese - is it a hard or soft cheese?

Fabienne

08/22/06 at 4:15 pm

It’s very interessant for me beaucause I know stuffed eggplant and fried eggplant but not fried and stuffed eggplant ! It’s a good idea.

Karina

08/22/06 at 6:04 pm

Holy cow. How fabulous can you get? Your mother [and you, the sweet apple falling not far from the tree] is gifted! This sounds to die for.

kristina

08/22/06 at 7:18 pm

Ivonne, this dish looks so amazing! We were planning to do a “fried food” night this friday, now I think I know what we will be making in addition to panelle!

Mary

08/23/06 at 12:42 am

Ah, riconosco questi.. Milangiane Chjine!

No matter what you call them, these are yummy and a family favourite this time of year.

Excellent photography Ivonne, thank you for sharing.

lobstersquad

08/23/06 at 2:36 pm

wow, your mother sounds totally incredible. I´ve been a tad obsessed with that lasagna since I saw that picture.

Tiel

08/28/06 at 12:49 am

I love melanzani. A few months ago, my inlaws had heaps growing in their garden. They were small, no blemishes and no need for salting. Perfect. I had so many of them at one stage, I ended up roasting some and making a dip. Garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Yum. I’ll be trying this one. thanks.

Ivonne

09/7/06 at 1:49 pm

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for wonderful comments about my mother’s stuffed eggplant. They are always a special treat. Enjoy!

Jan

09/9/06 at 10:23 am

thank you…you just detailed the very recipe that my sister-in-law had learned from her mother and grandmother in Caulonia, Calabria, Italia. On her last vacation to visit prior to her stroke, we wrote down EVERY move she made as she was making these and the little fried eggplant patties she places in sauce (identical recipe) , We FORCED her to spend a day in the kitchen so we would know exactly how this is done. The pictures and the details you gave were PERFECT and mirror ours …so glad to have your pictures…makes it so much easier teaching to new family cooks that previously didn’t have an interest…and now do. Thank you so much!

Silversara

09/10/06 at 9:52 pm

Ivonne - this looks sooooo good! I have to try it. I’ve been on such an eggplant kick lately, that photo totally sucked me in. Thanks :)

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