Name: Eggplant Napoleon
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 3 medium eggplants (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total), stem and root ends trimmed and discarded, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; Sea salt for sprinkling; 1/4 cup Basil Pesto; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped; Juice of 3 lemons; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 egg whites, beaten; 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs); 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 2 tablespoons dried parsley; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Corn oil for frying; 3 cups Mutabal; 8 plum tomatoes, chopped; 1 medium red onion, chopped; 7 tablespoons Basil Pesto; Juice of 2 lemons; 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; Pinch sea salt

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Eggplant NapoleonPeter Cassidy

One of the most popular items on the Tanoreen menu, this tower of crispy pesto-marinated eggplant slices spread with smoky baba ghanouj, just might be the dish that inspired me to write this cookbook. It draws on the flavors of the Middle East and the Mediterranean, but the truth is, I created it to encourage my son to eat eggplant. He always loved fried zucchini sticks, so I cut eggplant in the same shape and he was none the wiser (although here they're cut in rounds). This is a good example of how I have taken advantage of ingredients that are available to me in the States and married them with the classic preparations from my childhood.

Recipe notes

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