With Summer comes almost endless gifts from the garden. To help capture the peak of summer seasonal vegetables, this Eggplant Napoleon recipe highlights Vegetarian Beer Cuisine. Wonderful flavors and textures of eggplant, mushrooms and squash are first marinated in a Pale Ale Marinade before being grilled over open flames. Then to further the cooking with beer experience, a Tomato Brown Ale Sauce highlights the ripe and plentiful tomatoes umami and how the Brown Ale beer style enhances the melanoidin complexities, both from the malted barley used to brew this beer style and the cooking technique of caramelizing onions and roasting garlic. This recipe brings the similarities of brewing and cooking science together.
As a Napoleon, in a culinary term context, is a stacked or layered dish. This Eggplant Napoleon recipe layers grilled eggplant, portobello mushrooms, summer squash with goat cheese (or a fresh mozzarella) with a Tomato Brown Ale Sauce, with some fresh herbs. Depending on how the eggplant is cut (into rings or cut long wise to make planks) the resulting Eggplant Napoleon can be served as an entrée or served in a multi-course feast, being a smaller portion.
The Pale Ale Vegetable Marinade recipe can be used on most summer grilling vegetables. It’s flavor profile is perfect for mushrooms, squash (from zucchini to summer squash), asparagus, red onions. cauliflower, broccoli, green beans to peppers.
If you are looking for a delicious alternative to this Eggplant Napoleon recipe, try making the Tomato Brown Ale Sauce recipe by itself. It is delicious over all types of pasta, from ravioli, penne, spaghetti to fettuccine. This recipe would also be perfect for a Beer Cuisine take on a lasagna, baked manicotti to stuffed pasta shells. This sauce recipe can also be used to slowly cook meatballs, creating a wonderful canvas for an extra boost of cooking with beer love.
Serves: 4 as an entree or 8 as a smaller dish for a multi-course feast
Eggplant Napoleon with Tomato Brown Ale Sauce
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Eggplant Napoleon: With Summer comes gifts from the garden. Wonderful flavors and textures of eggplant, mushrooms and squash all come together with help from a Tomato Brown Ale Sauce that you can use on pasta if you wish.
Eggplant Napoleon: With Summer comes gifts from the garden. Wonderful flavors and textures of eggplant, mushrooms and squash all come together with help from a Tomato Brown Ale Sauce that you can use on pasta if you wish.
To make the Tomato Brown Ale Sauce, place a medium size sauce pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions, cooking till the onions become transparent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté an additional 4-5 minutes. Now, add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute and deglaze the pan with the Brown Ale, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any brown bits. Next add the tomato puree, salt, pepper and oregano turning the heat to low and cook for 30-45 minutes. Just before serving, add the basil leaves. Keep warm.
Pale Ale Vegetable Marinade Directions:
To make the Pale Ale Vegetable Marinade, in a shallow pan or pie dish, add your favorite pale ale, olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and mix well. Have a sheet pan (cookie sheet) next to the marinade. Next dip each side of each piece of eggplant, Portobello mushroom and Zucchini in the marinade and set on the sheet tray.
Preheat your charcoal or gas grill to a medium heat. Once the grill is hot, grill the eggplant (on each side for 3-4 minutes), portobello mushrooms (for 6 minutes on each side, starting with the cap side down), zucchini (for 3-4 minutes a side). Remove from the grill, keeping warm. If you have a larger grill you can grill all at once.
To assemble the Eggplant Napoleon:
To assemble: on a sheet pan, start with 4 of the largest rings of grilled eggplant, and place each one on its own. Start each layer with a tablespoon of Tomato Brown Ale Sauce, then give each a slice of mozzarella, next a Portobello mushroom cap side down, making sure all the layers are even and centered. Fill the Portobello mushroom with 2 ounces each of Goat Cheese, then the tomato slices, topping with another tablespoon of sauce, zucchini slices (3 - 4 each stack) and then another slice of mozzarella, adding some tomato slices. Top each stack with a piece of eggplant, then a small teaspoon of sauce on the top. Place the sheet tray in the oven (350°F) of onto the grill for 4-5 minutes, letting the cheese melt slightly. Place a few tablespoons of sauce on each plate and carefully transfer the warm Napoleon onto the sauce (will help it from slipping). Garnish the dish with fresh herbs.
Recipe Notes
Beer Pairing Suggestions:
To pair a beer with this dish, a wonderful Brown ale, would compliment the caramelization, both in the malty brew and the grilled vegetables, along with the beer style being used in the Tomato Brown Ale Sauce.
Pale Ale with it's citrusy hop aroma and flavors will highlight the herbs and goat cheese
A Flanders Red will bring some acid along with some dark fruit undertones that will contrast the vegetables and bring forward the tomato (it is a fruit after all) elements.
With Summer comes almost endless gifts from the garden. To help capture the peak of summer seasonal vegetables, this Eggplant Napoleon recipe highlights Vegetarian Beer Cuisine. Wonderful flavors and textures of eggplant, mushrooms and squash are first marinated in a Pale Ale Marinade before being grilled over open flames. Then to further the cooking with beer experience, a Tomato Brown Ale Sauce highlights the ripe and plentiful tomatoes umami and how the Brown Ale beer style enhances the melanoidin complexities, both from the malted barley used to brew this beer style and the cooking technique of caramelizing onions and roasting garlic. This recipe brings the similarities of brewing and cooking science together.
