Stuffed Eggplant Canapés

Given that there are stand up occasions with more people, I have transformed my traditional eggplant parmigiana into a canapé recipe. Perfect for the summer months, especially as eggplants, tomatoes and basil are in season!

·      Makes about 15 rolls. (The ends of the eggplant are not suitable for rolling)

·      Preheated oven approx. 175 /180C 

Ingredients

·      2-3 medium to large eggplants sliced evenly into approx. ½ cm

·      3 large red capsicums, whole. Cut heads off and remove seeds

·      3 medium sized tomatoes sliced firstly into quarters and then sliced thinly. The larger the piece of tomato, the larger the roll will be.

·      9-10 pieces of mozzarella cut in half lengthways

·      10 slices of long prosciutto crudo cut in half lengthways (20 pieces, allowing extra for breakages)

·      Approx. 3 teaspoons olive oil for drizzling over canapés while baking

·      Whole basil leaves with stems removed to garnish

Method

For capsicums

Place capsicums on a lined baking tray and bake these until they begin to blister approx 40 mins. Remove capsicums from oven and cover. This will help to loosen the skins. 

Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel skins off and discard. Cut or pull pieces apart into long strips and place them on a separate plate ready to be layered.

For eggplant

Slice eggplants lengthways into even ½ cm pieces. Cut thin enough to roll, but not too thin that each break. Add about 10 slices to boiling water, enough to cover the slices. This can be done in three batches. It is best to remove the water each time, as it can get bitter from eggplants. 

Poach for about 5 mins on soft boil until they are just soft. Remove and drain each batch and transfer onto a lined baking tray. Using absorbent paper, pat the eggplant pieces until most of moisture is removed – this is an important step!

To assemble

Once the eggplant slices are ready (with moisture removed and cool) lay each piece on a tray, then layer lengthways with a slice of cheese then a strip of roasted capsicum. At the end, and at the widest point of the eggplant, place a slice of tomato, and start rolling up. Take a long piece of prosciutto and fold this over entire piece to form a roll. Secure with a toothpick.

Place each roll onto a lined baking tray, drizzle oil over and bake until golden brown for around 15 mins. Remove and tuck a basil leaf into the middle, still visible. Serve hot and enjoy!