Wine With…Lorenzo’s Eggplant Parmigiano

Wine With. . . Lorenzo’s Eggplant Parmigiano

by Paul Lukacs and Marguerite Thomas

Our American-born friend Lorenzo’s heritage may be half Austro-Germanic, but in the kitchen his Italian birthright reigns one hundred percent.  One of his most unique recipes (acquired from the likewise Italian side of his wife Jane’s family) is an adaptation of Eggplant Parmigiano.  This variation on the theme is considerably lighter than the traditional preparation, and is therefore more adaptable to a variety of different wines.  Or so we thought. 

Typical Eggplant Parmigiano-battered and fried, generously doused with tomato sauce and smothered in mozzarella-can be delicious in its own rustic way, and it partners readily with most medium-bodied red wines. When we made Lorenzo’s more ethereal rendition of the classic a couple of weeks ago, we found that it accommodated itself to some white wines as well as reds, but it also proved less versatile than we’d expected.  The slight bitterness inherent in eggplant, more overt in this leaner version, can turn aggressive with wines that lack fruit and body.   We tried the dish two ways: with and without a simple tomato sauce.  Not surprisingly, the presence of tomato sauce changed the dynamics considerably.  A Pinot Blanc from Alsace, for example, which worked just fine with the simpler version of the dish, lost all its personality once it came up against the tomatoes, while a somewhat weightier Viognier was just fine with both renditions of the dish (a big Aussie Shiraz, on the other hand, was too powerful for it, even with the sauce).  Both variations did best with wines of medium weight, with enough texture to meld with the richness of olive oil and cheese, and ones that were not just fruity, but that also delivered a significant impact to the back of the palate.

Lorenzo’s Eggplant Parmigiano, exactly as he transmitted it to us:

What to me was a revelation is that rather than salting the eggplant and then draining it under weight and patting it dry, my mother-in-law puts the eggplant pieces (diced for caponata, but round slices halved for this ‘sandwich’ recipe) in salted water for about a half hour or so, then squeezes them out and proceeds with the rest of the recipe. 

Without using an egg dip, she fries each half in abundant olive oil until one side gets golden; when she flips it, she drops a dab of this cheese mixture she’s made previously, combining grated parmigiano and/or pecorino with an egg to get it to be sort of like loose mashed potatoes (you make it wetter and it starts to thicken within a minute or two).  She covers that with another slice, fried side down, pats the ‘sandwich’ down a bit, then browns both sides.  She uses a bit of salt and parsley to the egg/cheese mix, but not much else in the way of seasoning.   These can be served on their own, or you can throw a small can of tomato sauce into the remaining oil, cook it down for a few minutes, and pour it over the eggplant sandwiches (a very light sauce that doesn’t mask the other flavors going on).  They are great re-heated, room temp, or even cold from the fridge, with or without the sauce. 

Selection

Approx. Price

Comments

Beringer, Napa Valley (California) Chardonnay Stanly Ranch Vineyard 2005

  $20

This fleshy, full-bodied Chardonnay managed to hold its own, even when the eggplant was topped with tomato sauce.  The wine did turn slightly bitter in the finish, but it displayed so much sweet fruit that this wasn’t such a bad thing.

Georges Duboeuf, Moulin-a-Vent (Beaujolais, France) Domaine de la Tour du Bief 2005

(Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons)

 $16

Deeper than most Beaujolais, this Moulin-a-Vent did what the California Pinot Noir we tried could not – complement but not overwhelm the dish.  The fruit flavors were ripe but not jammy, so the wine always seemed balanced, and the match harmonious.

La Tunella, Colli Orientali del Friuli (Italy) Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso 2005

(Imported by Quintessential LLC)

 $24

A sturdy, somewhat rustic red, this wine seemed a bit too powerful for the unadorned eggplant, but married nicely when the dish included tomato sauce.  Its taut acidity did the trick.

S. C. Pannell, McLaren Vale (Australia) Grenache Rosé 2006

(Imported by Epicurean Wines)

  $17

Our favorite match, this vibrant rosé worked beautifully with both forms of the dish.  With enough depth of flavor to match the sauce, and a bright, vivacious personality that enhanced the rich, cheesy eggplant, it was the one wine we kept reaching for  — again and again and again.  

Spice Route, Swartland (South Africa) Viognier 2005

(Imported by Vineyard Brands)

  $20

Not as aromatic as some Viogniers, this wine still showed plenty of ripe summer fruit flavors and a rich, full texture.  Those qualities enabled it to retain character even with the tomato sauce, and the sweet nature of its fruit prevented it from turning bitter or sour.