Recipe

Herb Cheese Stuffed And Fried Eggplant Steaks With Braised Radicchio, Fennel, And Escarole

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds, (you should have about 8 equal size rounds, reserve extra eggplant for another use)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Homemade Herb Cheese [2]
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence [3]
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
Vegetable oil, for frying
Braised Radicchio, Fennel, and Escarole [4]
Assorted chopped fresh herbs, garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, rub both sides of each eggplant slice with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender and fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet.
Spoon herb cheese onto half of the eggplant slices, spreading outward but leaving a border at the edges. Top with the remaining eggplant slices, pressing to seal.
In a shallow bowl, season the flour with the Essence. Make an egg wash with the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dredge the stuffed eggplant in the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the eggplant again in the seasoned flour, coating each side completely.
In a large skillet or saute pan, heat enough vegetable oil over high heat to come 1/4-inch up the sides of the pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, carefully add the eggplant and pan-fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
To serve, pile the greens into the center of 2 plates. Top each with 1 stuffed fried eggplant. Garnish with the herbs and serve.