Battered Eggplants and Zucchini with Skordalia

20. July 2003 Vegetables + Salads 0

I picked up Modern Greek: 170 Contemporary Recipes from the Mediterranean and read about skordalia, or garlic sauce. The recipe suggested fried vegetables, like eggplant and zucchini, to serve and dip in it. I used bread as a thickener for the sauce but you can always use potatoes or even walnuts for a nuttier taste. If you have access to panko, or Japanese breadcrumbs, use it because it’s much lighter than flour.

Ingredients for the vegetables:
1 eggplant, sliced in thin rounds
1 zucchini, sliced in thin rounds
1 cup of flour
3/4 cup warm water
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. In a large bowl, mix flour with water until smooth. Beat in the egg and combine with olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Dip the vegetables in the batter and cook in the hot oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
3. Drain on paper towels and serve with skordalia as dipping sauce.

Ingredients for the skordalia:
3 slices of wheat bread, without crust
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsps of red wine vinegar
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Soak the bread in water for about 15 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.
2. Crush garlic and salt using a mortar and pestle until garlic is purÃ©ed. Combine with the bread, vinegar and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth, slowly adding olive oil in the process.