Tasty and melty, eggplants in a carriage are a recipe conceptually reminiscent of the famous mozzarella in a carriage: the difference is that here, instead of bread slices, eggplant slices are used. Ideal as an appetizer, as a snack to accompany the aperitif or as a different main course, eggplants in a carriage have a crunchy crust and a soft filling of melted mozzarella.
The recipe for eggplants in a carriage is very simple and the eggplants do not require pre-cooking: you just need to slice them thinly enough, make a sort of sandwich with the mozzarella, and dip it in egg and breadcrumbs. You can then choose to cook these eggplant sandwiches in the oven or fry them in deep oil: in both cases, you will get a tasty and inviting dish. Eggplants in a carriage can also be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge to be cooked just before serving.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients for about 12 eggplant sandwiches
- 1 black oval eggplant (about 1 lb)
- 4 oz mozzarella
- 2 eggs
- to taste breadcrumbs (gluten-free for me)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (for oven baking or abundant peanut oil for frying)
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 2 Small bowls
- 1 Frying pan
How to Make Eggplants in a Carriage Baked or Fried
To prepare eggplants in a carriage, start by washing the eggplant and slicing it thinly (1). Then cut each slice in half, thus obtaining two crescent shapes (2); if the eggplant is quite small in diameter, you can avoid cutting them in half and prepare round sandwiches.
Slice the mozzarella thinly as well (3), if it’s very watery let it drain for about ten minutes and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and lightly salt them, then beat them vigorously with a fork. In another small bowl, pour the breadcrumbs, season with a pinch of salt, and mix well.
Then proceed to prepare the eggplant sandwiches: layer a slice of mozzarella over each eggplant slice (4), then close with another eggplant slice and press slightly (5). Dip the eggplant sandwiches in the beaten egg (6), letting the excess drain off.
Then coat them in breadcrumbs (7) making sure it adheres well to the entire surface. Then dip just the edges of the sandwich first in the egg and then again in breadcrumbs for a well-sealed double coating.
If you want to fry the eggplants in a carriage, heat abundant peanut oil in a pan or in a deep fryer. When it reaches 350°F, dip the eggplant sandwiches in few at a time, so as not to lower the temperature too much, and cook them for a couple of minutes. When they are golden, drain them and let them dry on a sheet of kitchen paper.
If you want to bake them, place them side by side on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle them with a little extra virgin olive oil (8). Bake them in a preheated oven at 400°F (fan) for about ten minutes, or until golden (9). Serve the eggplants in a carriage immediately.
Storage
Eggplants in a carriage are best eaten right after cooking, but if there are leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for a couple of days. If you want to prepare them in advance, you can make the sandwiches and bread them even the day before and store them in the fridge in an airtight container.
Tips and Variations
You can enrich these eggplant sandwiches with a piece of cooked ham or an anchovy in oil to add to the mozzarella.
If you don’t have a fan oven, you can bake the eggplants in a static oven by raising the temperature to 430°F.
