ELT with Smoked Paprika Tomato Jam


eggplant sandwiches
photo by carmen troesser

Ingredients

1 1-lb. eggplant
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. minced garlic
2 lbs. Roma tomatoes, divided
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. smoked paprika, plus more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. ground cumin
8 slices hearty whole-grain bread, toasted
4 leaves romaine lettuce



Preparation

• Trim the eggplant and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices. Select the 4 largest slices from the middle of the eggplant, reserving the remaining for another use.

• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Add the marinade and eggplant slices to a large zip-close bag. Let rest at room temperature until the tomato jam is done.

• Meanwhile, reserve 2 tomatoes and cut the rest in half lengthwise, then use a small spoon to scrape out and discard the cores and seeds. Dice into ½-inch pieces.

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the diced tomatoes, onion, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lemon juice, salt, smoked paprika, pepper and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquids release and come to a boil, 5 to 7 minutes.

• Reduce the heat to low and simmer 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until you can scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and the jam doesn’t run back onto itself. Remove from heat, taste, and add more smoked paprika if desired. Let cool completely. Reserve ¼ cup for sandwiches, and set aside the remainder for another use. Jam will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

• Preheat a grill pan or prepare a charcoal grill for direct, medium-high heat.

• Remove the eggplant slices from the marinade and place on the grill or grill pan. Cook until the edges brown and dark grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.

• Cut the remaining 2 tomatoes horizontally into ¼-inch slices. Smear 1 heaping tablespoon of the reserved tomato jam on 1 piece of toast. Add a romaine leaf, a slice of grilled eggplant and a few tomato slices. Top with another slice of toast; repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more sandwiches.



Tags : Sandwiches , Eggplant