Eggplant Caprese Salad With Fried Garlic & Balsamic

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant

  aubergine, sliced into 0.5-cm thick disks
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 5-6 tablespoons olive oil

  or macadamia oil, more if needed
• 2 cloves garlic

  thinly sliced
• 8 cherry tomatoes

  halved (1 large tomato can be sliced instead)
• 3 oz mozzarella cheese

  soft, buffalo mozzarella is best, sliced (80-90 g)
• 10 medium basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
• Extra sea salt and pepper to season

Instructions

• 1 Slice the eggplant and spread the disks on a chopping board or a plate. Sprinkle
  evenly with sea salt. Leave for 5-10 minutes to draw out some of the juices.
  This will make the eggplant less oil-hungry. Pat the pieces lightly with paper
  towel.
• 2 Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat (not
  too hot as to not burn the oil). Once hot, add the eggplant slices and cook for
  3-4 minutes on each side until grill marks appear. You will need to drizzle more
  oil over the slices once you turn them as they will absorb the initial amount
  instantly. They will not cook properly if left too dry. Don't panic too much
  about the amount of olive oil used, it's all good stuff and not a problem in a
  lower carbohydrate dish such as this one.
• 3 Once cooked, layer the eggplant on a larger serving plate and set aside.
• 4 Add a little more olive oil to the frying pan and add the garlic slices. Cook
  over medium heat for a minute or so on each side, until golden brown.
• 5 Top the cooked eggplant evenly with mozzarella slices, halved tomatoes, basil
  leaves and fried garlic. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and season with a
  little extra sea salt and pepper.

Nutrition Info