This is one of my favorite appetizers, occasionally we like to have appetizer dinners, which is just appetizers for dinner -it’s an adult version of ice cream for dinner – and this eggplant appetizer is one of those yummy appetizers that always gets included. It is especially good in the summer when you can get the best quality eggplants and tomatoes. The combination of eggplant and tomato gets a very spicy contrast from the garlic parmesan mayonnaise sauce, which I really think that sauce is the key to making this appetizer so delicious. Even though I’ve made this eggplant and tomato appetizer so many times I still remember Anna’s as being so much better than mine, she always used dill as the garnish. I use it sometimes but it just depends what I have in the garden or fridge, this time I used thyme and oregano as garnishes.
Grilled eggplant slices topped with tomato slices, garlicky parmesan sauce and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 2-3 tbs olive oil
- 2-3 tomatoes, sliced
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 4 tbs mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Fresh herbs to garnish (dill, basil, oregano, thyme, etc)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Slice eggplants, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Grill until the eggplant slices are cooked, about 5 minutes on an electric grill, you can also fry or bake the eggplant slices.
- Meanwhile mix the grated parmesan cheese, crushed garlic, mayonnaise and pepper in a small bowl
- Arrange the eggplant slices on a plate, top each one with a slice of tomato and a spoon of the garlicky parmesan mixture.
- Garnish each appetizer with a fresh herb sprig and serve warm or cold.
I learned how to make this eggplant appetizer from my friend Anna, back in the days when we lived in Austin and hung out with a very fun group of Russians. We met Anna, who is Polish, and her Russian husband Victor thanks to our Russian neighbors Vadim and Geanna. We all lived in the same apartment complex and had some great dinner parties – Russians definitely known how to party. Anna would usually bring this appetizer to these dinners. Another interesting thing about Anna is that she has an identical twin sister and Victor has an identical twin brother, and they met at the house of another friend who is also a twin, what are the chances of that?
Thank you Anna for this great appetizer!
Step by step preparation photos for this eggplant and tomato appetizer with garlicky parmesan mayonnaise sauce
Looks delicious and amazing pictures…..!!!!!!
From Caracas-Venezuela
Made as a side dish for dinner tonight with out garden grown eggplant & tomatoes. Can’t wait to make again! Fantastic!
I just found your site cause I was given a box of organic eggplants and don’t know what do with them. I’m a Texan married to a French man, living in France, and I’m always searching for different ideas for apéritif. This recipe looks great! Thank you, gracias, et enfin, merci!
I made these when had some friends over for a barbeque. They tasted great, though they didn’t look as nice as your photos! I will be making these again. I added some dried dill to my mayo-parmesan mixture and topped it with Parsley.
I made this tonight…wow!