What's on the Grill #283: Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana

I love eggplant grilled in slices or roasted for baba ganoush, so it makes perfect sense I would also like eggplant covered in homemade tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese.  It's an easy leap.

This is one of those recipes that looks tricky, but is in fact, dead simple.  Plus, it's yet another chance to move something from the kitchen to the grill.  A fork in the road I am always up to take.

Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana
Adapted from Gourmet via Epicurious 

1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 small Italian eggplants
16 thin slices fresh mozzarella

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

Add in 2 T of oil and then the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Stir for about 30 seconds.

Next, add in the tomatoes and salt.

Continue to cook until the sauce thickens, about 6 minutes.

Next, glance over your right shoulder to see just how lazy Maryann & Ginger are.

Yeah, pretty lazy.

After the sauce thickens, remove from the heat and add the basil and cheese.  Stir and set aside.

Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect medium heat.

 Slice the ends off the eggplants, then slice the eggplants, lengthwise, into 4 equal slices.

Brush the slices with the remaining olive oil.

Grill over direct heat, about 3 minutes a side.

Once done, remove from the grill.

Make small stacks with the remaining ingredients in a shallow foil pan.  Take one slice of eggplant and top with about 1 T of sauce and one piece of cheese.

Continue with another layer of eggplant, sauce, and then cheese.

Place the pan of eggplants on the grill over indirect heat.

Close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Plate and serve.

This is another one of those meals that could feed four, but ended up feeding two people who couldn't stop eating.  Don't cheat and buy canned sauce, don't cheat and buy a "block" of mozzarella, make it all as written above and you so won't be disappointed.