Classic Panini: Grilled Eggplant & Tapenade

Name: Classic Panini: Grilled Eggplant & Tapenade
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ripe but firm tomato 4 thin slices; tapenade preferably homemade, 4 tbsp; mozzarella cheese 3 oz (90 g), thinly sliced; eggplant 1 small, trimmed and sliced lengthwise; garlic 1 clove, minced; olive oil 2 tbsp; ciabatta rolls 2, split

Preparation info

Serves
2

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Perfect Panini

By Jodi Liano

Published 2013

About

While cooking eggplant on the sandwich press makes things easy, to get a smokier essence, cook it outside on a charcoal grill. Tapenade, an olive spread, is easy to make at home, but also readily available jarred in Italian markets and most grocery stores.

Ingredients

ciabatta rolls 2, split
olive oil 2 tbsp
garlic 1

Europe
Italy
Sandwich
Fish course
Pescatarian
Mediterranean
Street Food

Method

Preheat the sandwich grill. In a small bowl, stir together the oil and garlic. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with half of the garlic oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place the eggplant in the grill, close the top plate, and cook until the eggplant is tender and lightly charred, 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, keeping the grill on and wiping the grill pl