GRILLED EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA SANDWICH

At TKC we're always on the lookout for bold new recipes that are simple to recreate and leave our followers craving more. One such recipe is this one, Grilled Eggplant (Aubergine) Parmesan Sandwiches.

This recipe simply needs a bit of time to pull everything together step by step. The actual grilling takes nearly no time at all so get all your ingredients ready to roll before you start.

You'll need the following ingredients prepped and ready to go. Simply follow the sequence in order below:

• 10 small fresh tomatoes

• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (chopped)

• small handful of oregano (chopped)

• 10 cloves of garlic

• 1 cube of frozen tomato paste (we keep plenty in the freezer)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

• 1 medium sized eggplant

• a bit more olive oil for brushing the eggplant

• 4 brioche buns, buttered

• 8 slices of provolone cheese

• 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (for final topping)

• Handful of chopped basil

Take the tomatoes and place them in a small roasting tray. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and add the garlic, rosemary, oregano and some Kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Roast it all in a preheated oven for about 35 minutes at 180C (356F). Once the skin starts to peel back and shrivel a bit and the garlic has started to brown, remove the tomatoes and cool for about 10 minutes. Save all that oil and juice for the next step.

Take the tomatoes and garlic along with all the herbs and dump it all into your food processor. Add the cube of tomato paste and blitz it all into a smooth puree. While that's whirring away, take the residual olive oil and heat it up in a medium sized skillet and when hot, add the chopped onions and red pepper flakes. Cook the onions until they become translucent. Add the tomato puree a bit of salt and pepper for taste and simmer on a low heat for 35 minutes, until it thickens up. Remove from heat and then the last step, stir in the grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Transfer the sauce into a deep bowl and cover with cling film until later.

Your Kamado should be set up for direct heat and using Grill Grates come in really handy when you're roasting delicate veggies like eggplant or mushrooms. We'll do a whole other post on Grill Grates soon, I promise. Get your Kamado temperature steady at 176-204C (350-400F).

Prepare your buns by cutting them in half and buttering both sides. Oil your grates with vegetable oil and when they're screaming hot, place your buns down for about 30-45 seconds to get a really nice toasty set of grill marks. Once done, you're ready for the eggplant.

Take one medium sized eggplant and cut it cross wise into circles about 1/2" thick then brush both sides with olive oil and hit them up with some Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Place 8 circles of eggplants onto the oiled grill and let them sit for about 3 minutes. Then turn 45 degrees and leave them there for another 2 minutes. Flip them gently and repeat the above process. 30 seconds before you remove the eggplants, place the cheese slices on top of the eggplant and close the Kamado dome.

Once the cheese has melted nicely, you're ready to construct the tastiest of sandwiches!

Take a toasted but, dollop about 3 tablespoons of sauce onto the base of the sandwich. Lay down 2 eggplant circles then add another dollop of sauce. Sprinkle the top with some more parmigiano-reggiano cheese and hit it with some freshly chopped basil. That's it! You're done and you'll thank us for a tasty vegetarian meal that will surely wow your family and friends.