Berenjenas with queso, or eggplant with cheese, is a Spanish tapa I made in my cooking class this past week. It went over quite well - everyone raved about the tenderness and lack of bitterness in the eggplant as well as the fresh, mild Spanish cheese. Here I used three month aged Iberico to compliment the fresh herbs and lightly cooked tomato sauce, but you could also use a longer aged Manchego to contrast the flavors.
Berenjenas with queso, or eggplant with cheese, is a Spanish tapa I made in my cooking class this past week. It went over quite well - everyone raved about the tenderness and lack of bitterness in the eggplant as well as the fresh, mild Spanish cheese. Here I used three month aged Iberico to compliment the fresh herbs and lightly cooked tomato sauce, but you could also use a longer aged Manchego to contrast the flavors.
Information
Servings: 6
Time: 45 minutes active; 90 minutes total
Price: About $9.80 total; $1.65 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 155.3
Protein: 5.8g
Fat: 7g
Saturated fat: 3.3g
Carbohydrates: 19.8g
Fiber: 2.6g
Sodium: 422.1mg
Cholesterol: 16.8mg
High In:
Good Source:
Low In:
Ingredients
1 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2” slices
1 Tbsp EVOO, plus extra for frying
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp SnP and sugar, each
1/4 cup flour
4 oz Spanish cheese, such as Manchego, Idiazabal, Roncal, Mahon or Iberico, cut into small wedgesFresh, earthy herbs, such as oregano, thyme or rosemary
Preparation
Salt eggplant and leave to drain 30 minutes in a strainer. Pat dry to remove excess liquid. This will remove bitterness and help tenderize the eggplant. (Note: Try finding slender eggplant like a Japanese variety or the one from my garden, Rosita.)
Meanwhile, lightly fry the onion in the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. When slightly softened, add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf and seasonings. Simmer for up to 1 hour (basically while you finish the eggplant). Puree in food processor or with a hand blender, if you want a smooth sauce. Keep warm.
When eggplant is ready, dip in flour and fry in 1/2 Tbsp EVOO per batch over medium high heat. Remove to plate.