Aubergine Milanese with Grana Padano hot espuma
Easy
4 people
Aubergine Milanese is a great alternative to veal or chicken if you are trying to eat less meat. Packed with flavour and a satisfying meaty texture.
You should know though, that in Italy no one, and I mean no one, would never ever serve a Milanese (any type of Milanese really) with spaghetti!!! That is a concept Italians cannot bear. But fear not, I hear you. I understand you want something creamy to go with your crispy Milanese so here we are ….warm Grana Padano espuma!
I assure you this dish is easier and quicker than it sounds and it pays off every time!
Chefs tip: if a siphon is not available you can serve the crispy aubergines with a Grana Padano mousse instead. Use the same amount of ingredients, whip the cream and incorporate the finely grated Grana Padano. Season and place it into a piping bag. Serve cold.
Ingredients
2 large black aubergines
150 g plain flour to dust
2 eggs for the egg wash
250 g of panko breadcrumbs
50 g of grated Grana Padano
1 tbsp of smoked paprika
1 tbsp of curry powder
1 lt of veg oil for deep fat frying
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil leaves to garnish
Grana Padano to garnish
For the Grana Padano espuma:
150 g of grated Grana Padano
320 ml of double cream
Salt and pepper to taste
For the pistachio and rocket pesto:
40 g of rocket salad
20 g of shelled pistachio
80 ml of olive oil
25 g of grated Grana Padano
½ garlic clove (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Peel the aubergines with a potato peeler and slice into 2cm thick steaks. Season with salt, rub well and let them marinade in the salt for a few hours to remove excess water
Season a few tablespoons of flour with the paprika and curry powder. Pat aubergine steaks dry and dust them well with the seasoned flour. Then, dip them into the seasoned egg wash. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the grated Grana Padano and toss the aubergine steaks in. Press the breadcrumbs onto the aubergine steaks to ensure no spots are left uncovered. Set aside