Recipe by Niko Romito: Glazed eggplant
Ingredients for 4 people
For the licorice powder
- 4 g licorice powder
- 200 g powdered sugar
Method
Heat powdered sugar and glucose to 160°C, adding licorice last. Allow to cool and blend to obtain a powder made of licorice and sugar.
For the peach reduction
- 3 peaches
Method
Juice the peaches and reduce them.
For the tomato concentrate
- 400 g tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
Method
Remove tomato skins and seeds and prepare a concassé. Blend everything and remove excess liquid, strain the liquid through a linen cloth for about one night.
For the rosemary reduction
- 30 g rosemary
Method
Remove rosemary leaves, wash, and extract the main essence.
Other ingredients
- 50 ml basil oil
For the eggplant cube
- 4 round purple eggplants
- 4 long black eggplants
Method
Peel and cut the eggplants into cubes. Place them on a perforated tray, sprinkle with salt, and cover with a weight to remove excess moisture. Leave overnight.
Then dry them, wrap them in paper, and seal them. Repeat the same process for three days.
Trim the ends of the long black eggplants, arrange them on a baking tray, and bake in a static oven at 180°C for about 55 minutes. Pass through a food mill and squeeze to remove excess water. Filter the water and bring to a boil for about a minute. Return to low heat to obtain a reduction.
Arrange the purple eggplants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Glaze them with the black eggplant reduction and bake in a static oven at 175°C for about 5 minutes. Glaze them again and bake for another 3-4 minutes.
Using a syringe, inject basil oil into the eggplant cube, sprinkle with licorice powder, and burn the sugar with a torch.
Plate composition
Arrange the eggplant on the serving plate, pour a drop of peach reduction next to it, and add a quenelle of tomato concentrate, previously seasoned with oil and salt. Finally, create dots on top of the eggplant with the rosemary reduction using a piping bag.
Cover photo by Brambilla Serrani
