With their crisp acidity and fresh fruit flavors, Sicily’s wines are versatile when it comes to food pairing. In general, white wines are better with lighter-bodied foods and fresh cheeses, while reds pair naturally with richer dishes. That said, white wine lovers can rely on Grillo to complement the entire meal, from pasta to grilled white meats and goat cheese. And the go-to for red-wine lovers is Nero d’Avola, which matches with everything from antipasti to grilled meats.
The Perricone’s spicy and earthy flavors complement the earthy, nutty flavors of eggplant and three cheeses while the Nero d’Avola’s fuller body and velvet tannins match the overall richness of the dish.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Cut the eggplant into slices widthways about ½-inch (1 cm.) thick. Sprinkle with sea salt and leave to drain in colander or on a dishcloth for at least 1 hour; this will get rid of the bitter taste and the excess liquid. Rub with a paper towel to eliminate all the salt. Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant slices a few at a time.
In a sauce pan, stew the onion in ½ glass of water with a few basil leaves and a tablespoon of oil. Stir in the tomato puree and let simmer for 20 minutes. Whisk the egg with ½ cup of grated Pecorino. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and pour the batter over it to make crêpes.
Grease a tall baking dish with some oil and alternate the fried eggplants, slices of Primosale cheese, the tomato sauce, sprinkling of grated Parmigiano and the crêpes. Top with a generous sprinkling of grated aged Pecorino.
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake for at least 40 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.