I like to shave off some of the eggplant skin for less potential bitterness.
Hold the top of the eggplant and with a super sharp knife, slice along the length several times but do not cut off at the top. The slices remain attached at the top. When you press down on the sliced eggplant it will fan out from the top remaining intact.
Drizzle the fanned out eggplant with olive oil and salt. Then, stuff between each slice. I used marinara sauce, basil, oregano, fresh mozz and grated mozz and parm. Topped with seasoned panko mixed with a bit of olive oil.
Use any filling you like, maybe fresh tomato, pesto, other fresh herbs, pepperoni could be fun. Olives, peppers etc.
At 400F, on parchment, bake on a flat pan for about 40 min or so the eggplant is caramelized.
Takes just a few minutes to put together and such a satisfying reward.
With a bold glass of red wine... perfection!
