Recipes, Redux

I've tried my hand at a few new recipes, courtesy of Epicurious.

Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup)
• 4 small Italian eggplants (1/2 pound each)
• 16 thin slices whole-milk mozzarella (from a 1-lb block; not fresh)

Recipe:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and parmesan.

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over moderate heat.

Trim 1/4 inch off 2 opposite long sides of each eggplant. Cut each eggplant lengthwise (in same direction as trimmed sides so each slice has skin just around edge) into 4 slices. Brush slices with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Grill eggplant, covered, turning over once, until tender, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a work surface.

Spread top of each slice with about 1 tablespoon tomato sauce and top with a slice of mozzarella, then restack each eggplant. Transfer stacks to a shallow baking pan and grill, covered, just until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.

Thoughts:
This is a lot less labor-intensive than the other eggplant parmigiana recipe I've made.

Rather than grilling the eggplant, I cooked them in my skillet.

It was a generally good recipe; however, if I made it in the future, I would have sliced the eggplant more finely to ensure that it cooked more easily.

---

Quick Coq au Vin

Ingredients:

• 4 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
• 8 ounces large crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
• 8 large shallots, peeled, halved through root end
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine (such as Syrah)
• 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided
• 4 teaspoons all purpose flour

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Sauté bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Add to drippings in skillet. Sauté until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side; transfer to pie dish (reserve skillet). Place in oven to keep warm.

Add mushrooms and shallots to skillet; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; toss 10 seconds. Add wine, 1 1/4 cups broth, bacon, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour in small cup.

Add 1/4 cup broth, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on platter; stir juices from pie dish into sauce and spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.

Thoughts:
Instead of using Syrah, I opted for a Cabernet; the remaining wine also provided a nice accompaniment for the meal.

I think I inadvertently used too many shallots, but I don't think that affected the end result.

I liked this recipe. The bacon fat complemented the chicken nicely, and the sauce was nice and rich. It made my kitchen a bit messy, though.