Eggplant & Prosciutto Sandwhiches

When my old neighbors, James & Angela (who have since LEFT me for some fancy schmancy Condo near the canal), invited me over for some kick-ass roast meat - I just knew I had to make some kind of awesome appetizer. The result? Eggplant Prosciutto Sandwiches - taken from none other than the great Weber.

Oh yeah, and James' meat was pretty good too.

Preparation:

First grill up a bunch of red peppers until they are all black and charred on the outside. Let them cool in a sealed container, the steam will help the skin peel off better. Once cool, seed them and peel the skin off - then put them in a food processor with some oil and garlic and make a paste. Save the paste for later.

Eggplant & Prosciutto Sandwiches:

Red Pepper Paste (see above)
1 Eggplant (makes about 6-7 sandwiches)
Sliced Prosciutto
Mozzarella cheese
Arugula
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Slice up the whole eggplant into about 1/4 inch slices. Brush them with oil and season with S & P. Grill half of them on both sides and set aside. Then start grilling the other half, but once you flip them - start assembling your sandwiches ASAP. That way the cheese will melt and you can serve them nice and hot. Assembly goes like this: (1) red pepper paste, (2) Prosciutto, (3) cheese, (4) arugula, (5) eggplant slice.

Ted's Tip of the Week:

Get yourself a good brush for oiling stuff up - personally I like the cheap pastry brushes you can buy at the grocery store with the wooden handles. They're annoying to clean but they work the best. BUT you have to be careful not to let them touch the grill or they'll burn. Some people like the silicon ones because you don't have to worry about this issue, but I still like the old fashion ones.