As unusual as it sounds, the pairing of salt cod and eggplant is a traditional one in the Caribbean. It is a wonderful marriage, full of flavor and very much alive. Even if you think you’re a fan of neither, you may be won over by my take on the theme, featuring layers of well-seasoned salt cod sandwiched between thin slices of grilled (or panfried) Japanese eggplant.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound salt cod fillets, soaked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing the eggplant
- ½ cup Sofrito
- ¼ cup alcaparrado or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
- ½ cup Spanish-style tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 medium Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound), cut on the bias into ½-inch slices
How to Make It
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Make the Salt Cod Filling
- Drain the soaked salt cod and put it in a large saucepan with enough fresh cold water to cover it generously. Bring the water to a boil, then adjust the heat so the water is simmering and cook until the cod flakes apart easily, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Drain gently.
- As soon as it is cool enough to handle, shred the cod coarsely: It will fall apart a little more as it cooks with the other ingredients, and you want to be sure there is some texture to the filling.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sofrito and alcaparrado and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the sofrito starts to sizzle. Add the salt cod, tomato sauce, and cumin and bring to a boil. Taste and season with salt (if needed) and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat a gas grill to medium, if using.
- Season the eggplant slices lightly with salt. Brush the slices with olive oil and grill them over medium heat, turning once, until well marked and tender, about 8 minutes. Or heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and cook the eggplant slices, turning them once, until well browned and tender, about 8 minutes. Both the eggplant and the filling can be prepared up to 2 hours in advance and kept at room temperature.
- To serve, heat the salt cod filling to simmering. Lay an eggplant slice on a small serving plate and top with about 3 tablespoons of the cod filling. Repeat, and top with a third slice of eggplant to finish off the napoleon. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and filling. Serve right away.