This elegant vegetable dish will truly find itself at home on any holiday or feast table.
Not only does it look the part, but it’s bursting with a flavor that you won’t soon escape.
And, that’s before we even mention the sting from the scorpion we’ve tucked inside this dish. (If there are kids at the table, it would be a good idea to warn them. Whether or not you worry about the rest of your family is totally up to you.)
With four eggplants, you should be able to spread this across eight hungry diners, though that depends on what else you have that’s just so tempting on the table. (And, as it might be one of the few completely vegetarian dishes available, you can bet it will be gobbled up quickly by the non-meat-eating folks around your table.
Ingredients
4 Eggplants halved lengthwiseOlive oil
1 Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons Mad Dog 357 Scorpion Hot Sauce
4 Tomatoes, diced
2 ounces Parmesan, freshly grated
1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
handful fresh basil leaves, torn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.
Scoop the flesh from the center of each eggplant half, leaving a 1/4″ border. Reserve the centers. Place the shells on the prepared baking sheet, brush with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Cover the entire baking sheet with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and fry until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Roughly chop the reserved centers of the eggplants and when the onions are soft, add them to the skillet with the garlic and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the Mad Dog 357 Scorpion Hot Sauce along with the herbs and tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to mix everything well, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low.
After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the skillet and cook until any remaining liquid has evaporated. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and basil leaves. When the eggplant shells and the filling are ready, spoon this mixture into the shells. Season with a little more salt and pepper and drizzle over a little more olive oil and perhaps a few more drops of Mad Dog 357 Scorpion Hot Sauce.
Return the baking sheet to the oven uncovered and bake for 25-50 minutes until hot and lightly browned.
