Melanzana di Mandranova (Eggplant of Mandranova)

They had me at the appetizer course...our very first dinner in the beautiful dinning room at the Mandranova Resort began with a heavenly, silky eggplant dish that received instant raves from the entire group. We knew we were in trouble. We would be staying there for the next three nights and if the rest of the food was anything like the appetizer, we'd have a hard time fitting into the cars when we left! Three dinners, 12 total courses, and I'm not even counting breakfast, and each dish just got better and better and better. But since this appetizer was our first taste of Mandranova, it became the symbol of the freshness and quality, simplicity and elegance, of our dinning experiences at the estate.

An olive estate, I can't really call it a farm, owned by Guiseppe and Silvia Di Vincenzo, Mandranova is a beautiful oasis in the midst of an agricultural area of southern Sicily. We were there during the press and got to see the process first hand. I'll do a post on our whole experience there in the upcoming weeks, but here is a previous post I did on there olive oils with a video of how to taste olive oil featuring Silvia Di Vincenzo: Mandranova, Sicilian Olive Oil from the Gods.

This recipe makes four generous appetizer portions. If you wanted smaller portions you could divide into 6.

Ingredients
4 medium eggplants, whole
1 clove of garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano finely chopped
salt
1/2 cup olive oil (the better the quality, the better it will taste!)
olive oil, chopped tomatoes and fresh basil for garnish

Directions
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast the whole eggplants for 30 - 45 minutes. Time will depend on the type and size of eggplant. After 30 minutes, check periodically by inserting a skewer into the widest part of the eggplant. It should be very soft and come out clean.
-Remove the eggplants and allow them to cool. Peel, finely chop, place in a colander and sprinkle with a little salt to help draw out any remaining bitterness. Let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse, press out the water with a spatula and pat dry.
-Place eggplant, garlic, oregano and olive oil in a bowl and mix well. Add salt to taste.
-Divide the mixture between 4-6 ramekins, depending on desired portions. Place ramekins in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours (max 24hours) to allow the flavors to blend.
-When ready to serve, remove ramekins and run a knife around the outer edge of the eggplant to loosen it from the bowl. Turn the ramekin upside down onto a plate, shake it a little and tap the top with a knife until it comes cleanly unto the plate.
-Garnish with chopped tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Try this with a crisp Sicilian white wine like my wine of the moment, the Ajello Grillo-Catarratto available at Swirl!

Mandranova, Sicilian Olive Oil From the Gods

Located only 90 miles from the coast of North Africa, Sicily's summer sun is relentless which gives Sicilian produce an intensity of flavor that is not found in the north of Italy.

Olive oil is almost synonymous with Italian cooking, and nearly every region in Italy has its own homemade variation. Sicilian olive oil, however, may boast the oldest lineage, dating back to the 5th century B.C. when colonists from Greece were probably the first to plant olive trees in Sicily, starting around 500BC.

Sicily currently has four certified DOP (designation of origin) olive growing regions and is waiting on certification for two other areas. Sicily commits thousands of acres of land to growing olives and the high quality olives produced are a result of fertile, volcanic (in parts) soil. While Carolea, Nocellara, and Biancolilla are the most widely cultivated olive varieties in Sicily, one can also find Crasto, Ogliarola Messinese, Cerasuola, La Minua, La Cavaleri, Tonda Iblea, Moresca, and Castiglione.

The Mandranova Olive Oils come from Southern Sicily, near Agrigento. They focus on preserving the particular quality of each type of olive. Their extra-virgin olive oils are "monocultivar", sort of like single varietal, and their methods of pressing the oil vary according to each variety of olive. An accurate control process of each stage of the productions makes it possible to obtain products of highest quality, which has been recognized by several prizes awarded at both national and international level.

The oils are incredibly fresh, just pressed in October and are absolutely delicious! We are sharing samples of them with a few of our wholesalers to see if they would be interested in bringing them in to the United States for us. Keep your fingers crossed because if you are nuts for great olive oils like we are, trust me, you want these in your pantry!

This is a great video filmed by the Culinary Media Network demonstrating the proper way to smell and taste olive oil from Sylvia di Vincenzo of the Mandranova Estate in Sicily.

Mandranova is also an Agriturismo Resort and is a must visit for any trip to Sicily. Check out their site at http://www.mandranova.it.

Ciao!