These roll-ups look elegant, but are quite simple to prepare, and you can change up the fillings according to your taste or to what's available. The biggest mistake people often make with eggplant is undercooking it. And when it comes to grilling, it's easy for the eggplant to dry out. Chef Daniel Orr recommends briefly grilling the eggplant, to mark it and get a bit of that smoky flavor, then stack up the slices and finish cooking them in the oven.
You can find the recipe for Chef D's Red Pepper Coulis here.
Chef D's Grilled Eggplant Asparagus Roll-ups
Ingredients
- 4-5 slender eggplants sliced lengthwise in 1/2 inch strips
- Olive oil (about a half cup or more)
- 2-3 lbs asparagus (blanched and shocked)
- One wheel of brie cheese
- 2-3 fresh tomatoes, sliced into rounds
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- The sauce of your choice
Instructions
- Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
- Grill the slices briefly to mark them, then stack them in a pan and place them in the oven for 10 minutes or until soft.
- For each slice of eggplant, place 5 spears of asparagus crosswise in the center of the slice
- Top with a thick slice of brie
- Next, a slice of tomato and a few fresh basil leaves
- Roll them it all up and place it seam side down in a baking dish brushed with olive oil.
- Bake just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Serve with a tomato sauce, red pepper coulis, pesto or basil oil.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
