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Stuffed Foccacia with Roasted Eggplant and Oregano
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
Show:  Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Episode:  Book Club Dinner
2 eggplants
Gray salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound prepared pizza dough
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1 small bunch fresh oregano leaves
1/2 pound mozzarella, sliced
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Cornmeal, for dusting

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch slices. Salt the eggplant and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes; rinse the slices and pat dry. Brush them with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, and season with pepper. Place the slices on a baking sheet and roast, not turning, until brown and tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Separate the dough into 4 rounds. Roll them out into 8 to 10-inch circles. Brush 2 of them with olive oil and lay half the eggplant in the middle of each. Top each with half the tomato sauce, some fresh oregano, half the mozzarella, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Top each with a round of dough and crimp the edges to make a seal (like a pie). Pierce the top crust to allow steam to vent, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

Position your oven racks to the upper most and lowest positions. Place 2 large baking sheets on the racks and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Carefully remove the sheets and dust them with cornmeal. Transfer the rounds to the baking sheets and brush each with some olive oil. Bake until the crusts are light brown on the bottom, about 20 minutes. When slightly cool, slice like a pie into 8 wedges.

Other Recipes from this Episode
Rillettes of Salmon
Fennel Spice Chips
Shortbread with Salt
Teachino

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Michael Chiarello
User Rating 5 Stars
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