Eggplant, Oven Dried Tomato and Skordalia Stacks

Eggplant, Oven Dried Tomato and Skordalia Stacks

Skordalia or skordhalia/skorthalia (σκορδαλιά [skorða'ʎa]; in Greek also called αλιάδα) is a thick puree (or sauce/dip/spread/etc.) in Greek cuisine made by combining crushed garlic with a bulky base—which may be a purée of potatoes, walnuts, almonds, or liquid-soaked stale bread—and then beating in olive oil to make a smooth emulsion. Vinegar is often added. Skordalia is usually served with batter-fried fish (notably salt cod, μπακαλιάρος), fried vegetables (notably eggplant and zucchini), poached fish, or boiled vegetables (notably beets). It is sometimes used as a dip. Wikipedia.

Recipe: Eggplant, Oven Dried Tomato and Skordalia Stacks
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, courtesy Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
8 Slices Oven Dried Tomatoes, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups Potato Skordalia, recipe follows
8 Slices Eggplant, recipe follows
1/4 cup Basil leaves, plus extra leaves for garnish

For the Oven Dried Tomatoes:
1/4 cup olive oil
5 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and cut lengthwise
2 tablespoons course salt
2 tablespoon fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Cover baking sheet with olive oil and arrange tomatoes cut-side up. Sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh thyme. Let sit for 1 hour. Bake the tomatoes until they are almost dry yet still slightly plump. 5 to 6 hours.
To store, pack them into clean jars, cover with olive oil, and refrigerate; or freeze them in plastic bags.

For the Potato Skordalia:
1 pound boiling (such as red bliss) potatoes, halved with the skin on
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons good-quality red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well and cool. Peel the potatoes, discarding the skins. Push them through a ricer into a medium bowl and set aside. Pound the garlic with the salt in a mortar and pestle until smooth. Add the garlic mixture to the potatoes and stir well. Gradually add the vinegar, lemon juice, and the oil, pounding or stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add more oil if desired.

For the Eggplant:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large eggplant, cut into 8 slices
Salt and pepper

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat to 350°F. Working in batches, add eggplant slices to skillet and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
Using slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To Assemble:
Place 1 tablespoon skordalia in center of each of 4 plates. Top skordalia with 1 eggplant slice, 3 tablespoons skordalia, 2 basil leaves and 2 oven-dried tomato halves. Top with remaining eggplant slice. Dollop an additional tablespoon of Skordalia on top and garnish with basil leaves.