Grilled Eggplant Agrodolce With Mint & Fresno Pepper
Sarah Fioritto
Test Kitchen-Approved
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 4
This eggplant is great as a side dish, but can be easily adapted into a main with the addition of chickpeas and some shreds of fresh mozzarella or crumbled feta cheese. Originally posted on strawberryplum.com.
Ingredients
- 4 small eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 3 Fresno peppers
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
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WHO: Sarah | strawberryplum spends her days as a restaurant server and her evenings dreaming up new recipes.
WHAT: Grilled eggplant goes Italian with a classic sugar and vinegar agrodolce dressing.
HOW: Throw sliced eggplant and Fresno peppers on the grill, then toss them in a dressing of sugar, white wine vinegar, and olive oil. Add some mint and serve (preferably to a slew of friends at a backyard party).
WHY WE LOVE IT: The sweet and sour elements from the agrodolce, the freshness from the mint, the earthiness of the eggplant, and the spice of the peppers countered by the sugar all somehow round out to a perfectly balanced summer side.
Directions
- Step 1
Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt and place them between paper towels. Press gently to remove moisture.
- Step 2
Grill the eggplant and peppers over medium-hight heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until the eggplant flesh is golden brown and the peppers are charred.
- Step 3
Remove the charred skin from the peppers. Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise, and scrape out most of the seeds, unless you want your finished dish to be very spicy. Coarsely chop the peppers.
- Step 4
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, and a few twists of black pepper. Add the eggplant, peppers, and mint to the bowl and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.