BREADED EGGPLANT WITH FONTINA CHEESE AND ANCHOVIES

Breaded Eggplant With Fontina Cheese And Anchovies image

Provided by Craig Claiborne And Pierre Franey

Categories appetizer, main course, side dish

Time 1h

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

4 rounds eggplant, each about 1-inch thick, a total weight of about 3/4 pound
Salt to taste, if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
Oil for shallow frying
4 rounds Fontina cheese, about 2 ounces
4 anchovy fillets, drained
Tomato sauce (see recipe), optional
Garlic, oil and anchovy sauce (see recipe), optional

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
If desired, trim off and discard the skin of each eggplant round. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Dip each round in flour and shake off excess. Beat the egg with water and dredge each round, bottom and sides, in the mixture. Dredge each, bottom and sides, in the bread crumbs. Shake off excess.
Fill a heavy skillet with oil to a depth of about half an inch. Heat until the temperature on a fat thermometer is about 375 degrees. Add the eggplant rounds in one layer and cook, turning occasionally, about three minutes or until each round is golden brown and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper towels.
Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet or tin. Top each with a round of Fontina cheese. Split each anchovy fillet in half. Arrange two pieces of anchovy in the shape of a cross in the center of each piece of cheese. Place in the oven and bake five minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Serve, if desired, with tomato sauce or garlic, oil and anchovy sauce.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 460, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams, Carbohydrate 65 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 19 grams, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 1482 milligrams, Sugar 21 grams, TransFat 0 grams