Appetizer of eggplant, cucumber and sweet pepper
5 servings
60 minutes
This appetizer made of eggplant, cucumber, and sweet pepper embodies European culinary sophistication. Tender eggplants fried to a golden crust serve as the perfect base for a spicy salad of melted cheese, eggs, and garlic dressed with mayonnaise. Crunchy cucumbers and juicy sweet peppers add freshness, while olives lend a touch of Mediterranean charm to the dish. This appetizer not only pleases the eye with its striking presentation reminiscent of peacock feathers but also delights with a harmony of flavors — the softness of eggplant, creaminess of the salad, crunchiness of vegetables, and saltiness of olives create a wonderful combination. It is suitable for a festive table or as a light aperitif before the main course, making guests wonder if there is a hidden gastronomic story behind this dish.
1
We are boiling the eggs hard.
- Chicken egg: 2 pieces
2
Cut the eggplants into circles about 1 cm thick.
- Eggplants: 2 pieces
3
Fry the eggplants in heated vegetable oil on both sides over moderate heat until lightly browned.
- Eggplants: 2 pieces
- Vegetable oil: to taste
4
Immediately place on a napkin to absorb excess oil. Let the eggplants cool. We do not salt the eggplants, as we will have a rather spicy salad on top.
5
For the salad, grate processed cheese (keep them in the fridge for better grating) and boiled eggs on a fine grater. Press the garlic through a press. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix, and dress with mayonnaise. The salad mixture should be thick enough.
- Processed cheese: 2 pieces
- Chicken egg: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Mayonnaise: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
6
We will slice the cucumber into thin circles.
- Cucumbers: 1 piece
7
We will slice a quarter of the pepper into thin slices.
- Sweet pepper: 0.3 piece
8
We will cut the olives in half.
- Pitted olives: 12 pieces
9
We will spread salad mixture on each slice of eggplant.
- Processed cheese: 2 pieces
- Chicken egg: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Mayonnaise: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
10
On one end of the eggplant slice, we place a cucumber round and top it with half an olive. To keep the olive in place, I also spread salad underneath it. On the opposite end, we lay a strip of pepper. We decorate all the eggplant rounds this way.
- Cucumbers: 1 piece
- Pitted olives: 12 pieces
- Processed cheese: 2 pieces
- Chicken egg: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Mayonnaise: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Sweet pepper: 0.3 piece
11
We place the prepared circles on a large oval dish in the shape of a peacock's tail.