It’s a double standard really. I say I don’t like eggplant but I haven’t tried it, but if you tell me you don’t like bacon, I am speechless, and the only words I can find are ones to persuade and coax you into realizing that you are, in fact, insane. I will tell you that you haven’t had it the right way (is there a wrong way?). I will tell you that if I made it for you, it would surely become your latest food crush (eye-roll). Or I would simply write you off as a friend, because seriously, you don’t like, no, you don’t love bacon? I don’t even understand what you are talking about.

So here I am, trying not to be berated and beaten to death with “Not love eggplant?!” gasps and moans that I am now forcing myself to try the stuff. I’ve tried pushing off my dislike on the texture of eggplant, because, I am a serious texture girl. The jelly, squishy, seedy, and brown, brown and more brown the longer it touches air eggplant stuff just really isn’t my thing. But I can’t listen to one more person telling me to try eggplant — I tried the eggs, isn’t that good enough?

I searched for a recipe that would not yield a mushy mass of brown and found an eggplant recipe that not only could be stuffed, but also fried and then braised in tomato sauce. Boiling the eggplant was difficult since the little things floated around in the water instead of sinking to their fate. I had to fight them by twirling them around in the boiling water with a big spoon until everything was cooked. Then I had to slice them down the middle and scrape out their insides. I almost backed out. The texture in my hands alone made me squeamish. How do people like this stuff? It turned brown faster than you can say brown, and the goopy glop had seeds like a fish has scales (shudder).

Just to prove I’m not a scaredy cat, I scraped them out as fast as I could, then moved on to the fun part, like stuffing them and frying them and baking them in garlicky, basily tomato sauce. I took a bite, and the cook said it was good. The crunchiness of the filling creates an interesting contrast with the fleshy softness of the eggplant, and something about the mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic and herbs instantly improves the flavor of the eggplant and distracts your tongue from the texture. Good, yes, but bacon, you are still the love of my life.

Stuffed Baby Eggplant
Adapted from Gourmet

Serves 4 main course servings or 8 tapas style

Note: This can be made two days ahead and chilled in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350°F oven, covered with foil for about 15 minutes before serving.

Tomato Sauce:
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice, preferably San Marzano
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Eggplant and Stuffing:
4 small baby eggplants with stem attached, about 1 1/2 pounds
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 cup water
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
About 2 cups vegetable oil

Make Sauce: Drain tomatoes, reserving juice, then finely chop. Heat oil in a 4 – 5 quart heavy pot over medium heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with reserved juice, water, tomato paste, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil.

Eggplants and Stuffing: Bring a 5 – 6 quart pot of salted water to a boil over moderately high heat. Boil eggplants, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender when pierced with a pairing knife, 20 – 25 minutes. (Meg note: I stood over the stove and had to use a large slotted spoon to twirl the eggplants in the boiling water to cook both sides since they decided to float. Perhaps this was unnecessary? Let me know how you got them to sink or if you just left them alone and they turned out ok.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplants to a colander to drain. Discard cooking water. When eggplants are cool enough to handle, about 15 – 20 minutes, halve eggplants lengthwise through the stem, but keeping the stem attached. With a small knife (Meg note: it is easier to cut around the edges of the eggplant with a pairing knife and use a spoon to scrape out the flesh), scoop out and reserve flesh, leaving 1/4-inch thick shells. Very finely chop flesh and transfer to a large bowl.

Bring rice and water to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer rice, covered, until water has be absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and add to the chopped eggplant.

Add breadcrumbs to the rice and eggplant mixture along with the garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine well.

Sprinkle inside of eggplant shells with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Firmly pack the stuffing into the eggplant shells, about 1/3-cup. (You will probably have some stuffing leftover.)

Fry and bake eggplants: Position oven rack in the middle and preheat oven to 375°F.

Heat 1-inch vegetable oil in a large 3 – 4 quart heavy skillet over medium heat until a thermometer reaches 320°F and add 4 – 5 eggplant halves, stuffing side up. Fry, turning over once using 2 slotted spoons until golden brown, about 3 – 5 minutes on each side. Transfer stuffing side up to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then fry remaining eggplant halves in the same manner, returning oil to 320°F between batches.

Spoon sauce into a 3-quart (13×9-inch) nonreactive baking dish. Add eggplants, stuffing sides up and bake, covered with foil, until sauce is bubbling, 20 – 30 minutes.

Serve.