The ‘Extraordinary’ Frankies' Sputino Fried Eggplant Sandwich (New York Times)

I'm not a Frequent Fryer, but Food Columnist Melissa Clark's enthusiasm for "The Frankies" eggplant sandwich convinced me to give this a try.

Ms. Clark appears in a video with the owners of Frankies' Sputino Restaurant in Brooklyn. They show us step-by-step how to make this 'extraordinary' sandwich using their Italian grandmother's recipe. It took all afternoon, but the result was a dish with layers of flavor that were a much welcome change from my usual fare.

No doubt the restaurant sandwich is better (professional fryer), but for a home cooked dish (using a minimum amount of oil), no complaints. The bread soaked up the homemade tomato sauce, parmesan, garlic and eggplant flavors, one of life's little pleasures. It was delicious hot out of the oven and tasted even better for leftovers over the next couple of days.

'The Frankies' Brooklyn Restaurant
Photo credit NYT

My Paleo Marin: 4.8 Persimmons             

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
Pinch of red chili flakes
2 (28 oz.) cans whole, peeled tomatoes and juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

2 lbs of eggplants (2 extra large or 5 small)
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt

4 large eggs
6 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated, more for topping
6 tablespoons Pecorino Romano, grated, more for topping
(Note: I used 12 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano per personal preference)

3/4 cup olive oil

1 large loaf of ciabatta bread (or frozen gluten free bread, defrosted)

Extra grated cheese for topping

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven or other large deep saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it softens and is a golden color, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds.

2. While the garlic cooks, pour the tomatoes and juices in a large bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands. When garlic is cooked through, add the tomatoes, juices and salt into the pot. Stir and cook uncovered over medium low heat until the sauce thickens, about 2 hours. Stir frequently. Set aside.

3. Line 1 to 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the stem end off of the eggplants and peel and discard the skin. Slice the eggplants vertically into about 3/16" to 1/4" thick slices. Place the slices on the parchment paper and generously sprinkle both sides of the eggplant with kosher salt. Let stand 10 minutes. With paper towels, wipe well to get the salt and excess liquid off.

4. Line 1-2 large rimmed baking sheets with paper towels and place wire racks on top. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup of oil until a drop of water sizzles on top. Working in batches, fry the eggplant until just tender, about 20 - 20 seconds per side. Place the slices on the racks to drain. Wipe off any excess oil with paper towels. Turn off the heat.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and 2 tablespoons of the Pecorino. Add 3/4 cup oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling.

6. Working in batches, dip just enough eggplant slices into the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry in the oil until lightly golden and cooked through, 2 - 4 minutes per batch. Put next layer of eggplant slices in the batter while you fry this batch. Place the fried slices back on the wire racks. As in making pancakes, the second batch worked better. If the batter puffs up and sticks to the eggplant, the oil is hot enough.

7. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9" square baking pan. Arrange a layer of fried eggplants over the sauce in a tight, even layer. Spread 1/3 of the remaining cheese on top. Repeat layer of sauce, eggplant and 1/3 of the cheese. Finish with a final layer of eggplant, sauce and cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden, 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. And additional cheese on top. Cool for about 20 minutes.

8. Cut eggplant into 6 equal pieces. Cut the bread to match the size of the eggplant servings. Split each portion of the bread horizontally and lightly toast. Add the eggplant portions between the bread and serve.

Serve sandwiches while warm, or refrigerate and reheat for leftovers.

#paleo #vegetarian #comfortfood #eggplant #sandwiches #tomatoes #garlic #newyorktimes #melissaclark #frankiessputinorestaurant #recipes #maincourse 

For original recipe from the New York Times, see link here.

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.