Aug

Eggplant Involtini

Sean Sellers in Red Wines, Blow the Bank, Vegetarian, Gamay Noir 2006, New Zealand, Planet of the Grapes, Recipe, Te Mata

InterWined Food
Every Friday, InterWined.com pairs one great wine that exceeds its normal £10 ($20) threshold with one great meal, prepared following the instructions of some the Internet’s best food blogs.

This week’s ‘Blow the Bank’ comes courtesy of Haalo at Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once and a rich and flavourful Eggplant (Aubergine) Involtini with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Tomato.

Vegetarian food is regularly overlooked by head chefs and, in turn, often ignored by most diners. As a result, it is usually underserved by sommeliers who limit their pairings to a few simple dictums: mushrooms are like meat and deserve a full-bodied red wine such as Chateauneuf du Pape; Chardonnay goes well with quiche (it is chicken, after all – see Pear & Sage-stuffed Chicken with Hazelnut Crust for more); and, when in doubt, serve Sauvignon Blanc.

All three are reasonable, as, indeed, Sauvignon Blanc pairs excellently well with many vegetable dishes including asparagus, but each belies the complexity and nuance one finds in vegetarian cuisine.

As with the mushroom, one could class the aubergine or eggplant as a meaty vegetable. Equally one could place the aubergine alongside the courgette or zucchini in terms of its cucumber-like texture. (Perhaps strange, the aubergine is actually from the same genus as the tomato and potato.) While Chateauneuf du Pape can easily compliment the meatiness of mushroom, it would likely overpower the softer courgette (zucchini).

So what wine grapes pairs well with aubergine? Something red, to be sure; but, where others would possibly recommend a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, InterWined would suggest finding a red with softer tannins such as those found in the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc.

Served chilled as an aperitif or opened only when plating, the 2006 Te Mata Woodthorpe Gamay Noir from New Zealand, £11 from Planet of the Grapes is an excellent partner to Haalo’s Eggplant Involtini with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Tomato. It easily compliments the softness of the grilled aubergine while proving a perfect partner to enhance the kick found in Haalo’s secret ingredient, wine vinegar-soaked currants.

The Te Mata Gamay Noir is black currant juice drink or even black cherry in colour. Fragrant, refreshing, and smooth on the palette; it bears all the signature features of an outstanding Beaujolais. In fact, since the Te Mata Woodthrope Gamay Noir seems unavailable outside of the UK and New Zealand, InterWined recommends another Beaujolais wine, the Fleurie; or, better still, try one of North America’s Gamay Noirs, such as the ones made by Andrew Lane in Napa, California.

Haalo’s Recipe in Full

Eggplant Involtini with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Tomato

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 large eggplants
75g plain flour
olive oil, for frying
250g ricotta
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons currants, soaked in red-wine vinegar for 5 minutes, then drained
40g grated parmesan
200g mozzarella, cut into 1cm thick sticks
extra virgin olive oil
500ml tomato passata
3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
50g pine nuts
small piece of day-old bread or 3 tablespoons chunky fresh breadcrumbs

1. Peel the eggplants then cut lengthways into 1cm thick slices - that may seem too thick to roll but they will wilt and become pliable during the first cooking.

2. Lightly coat these eggplant slices in the flour then briefly beat two eggs with 1 tablespoon of water.

3. In a large fry pan, heat up some olive oil. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg and place in the fry pan. Over a medium heat, cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden – then drain on kitchen paper.

4. You’ll need to do this in batches and only dip them into the egg when you are ready to cook them.

To make the filling: Mix ricotta with 1 egg then season with salt and pepper. Add the drained currants and half the grated parmesan.
To make the Involtini: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta filling onto the eggplant slice; then top with a stick of mozzarella before rolling tightly.
To make the topping: Place the parsley, pine nuts and bread into a small bowl of a processor. Process until roughly chopped.
Assemble the dish: Preheat the oven to 170°C/320°F.

1. Brush the base of a large ovenproof dish with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil before pouring in 250mls of tomato passata.

2. Place the eggplant rolls on the passata with the join side down so they don’t unroll during cooking. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and the remaining passata. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan, followed by the topping.

3. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the topping is crunchy.

As with the previous week’s ‘Blow the Bank’, Fish Pie for Pi Day, Haalo’s Eggplant Involtini takes more than 30 minutes to prepare. Allow for approximately 1 hour, including 40 minutes cooking time — ed.

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