Eggplant stacks with tomato jam

Basque cuisine is full of dishes that have unusual flavour combinations. This is one of those dishes that stand out and set the tone for the rest of the meal. This dish is served in a small tapas bar called Quimet i Quimet, rated by many critics as the best tapas bar in Barcelona. Every wall lined densely with wine bottles, they serve a wide variety of small bites loaded on Spanish rusks, called montaditos, many created at the whim of the owner. This dish is one of his creations.

The soft, roasted eggplants are brought alive with the sweet and bright tomato jam, and completed by the salt from the anchovy fillet and cheese—the perfect mouthful, with all the flavours in perfect balance. When I decided to make this tapas, I was intrigued by the combinations of flavours, but could not stop wolfing these down on the first bite. Always make more than you think you'll need.

The New Spanish Table is one of my favourite cookbooks for tapas and other Spanish foods. I have cooked several recipes from this very hefty cookbook, and all of them, like this one, are superb. The recipes are authentic to their core, full of flavour, and delicious. As I absolutely love Spanish cuisine, particularly Catalan, I often turn to this cookbook. I highly recommend it for those who want excellent Spanish cuisine on their tables.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the eggplant stacks:

6 baby Japanese eggplants or 1 large purple eggplant

Olive oil spray

Salt, to taste

Sprinkling of pepper

Tomato jam, see recipe below

6-8 oil-packed anchovy fillets

Balsamic vinegar syrup (see note)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Manchego or Parmesan cheese

For the tomato jam:

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 ripe tomatoes, finely diced

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Make the eggplant stacks:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Slice the Japanese eggplants in half longitudinally. If using the large purple eggplants, cut it into long batons, about 3 inches in length and 1/4 inch in width. Lay the eggplant in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle salt and pepper and spray generously with olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes in the oven till the eggplant is soft and cooked and lightly golden. Remove, cool and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the tomato jam:

Heat the oil in a small pot and add the tomatoes, sugar, honey, and salt, mixing them together. Cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes, until all the liquids have evaporated and the oil has emerged entirely. Add the lemon or lime juice and mix well. Taste and adjust salt and tartness. The tomatoes will have decomposed and turned to mush; store them in the fridge, with the oil floating on top, for 1 week.

To assemble:

Layer the tomato jam on the bottom of a wide plate. Warm the eggplant slices and place the broiled eggplant slices on top of the tomato jam layer. Add 1/2 an anchovy fillet to each stack, curling it a bit for appearance. Drizzle with the balsamic syrup and top with shaved Manchego cheese. Serve immediately with some bread to scoop up any jam from the plate.

NOTE: You can easily obtain balsamic syrup, but if you need to make some, follow these steps: Take 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar and simmer for 15-20 minutes until reduced to 3-4 tablespoons. It will be sticky and syrupy. Cool and store in a dry bottle.