Eggplant (Aubergine) Roll

This is a delicious dish that may be served either as an appetizer or main course. It makes 18-20 slices, serving that many as an appetizer, or 9 to 10 people as a main course.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 9-10
• Yields: 18-20 slices

Ingredients

• 2  lbs eggplants, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1  lb ground beef
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (2 count) package puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1⁄2 lb  sliced ham
• 1⁄2 lb cheddar cheese or 1⁄2 lb gouda cheese, slices
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2  tablespoons fresh spearmint or 1  teaspoon dried spearmint, crumbled
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄8 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄4 cup  melted butter

Directions

1. Fry eggplant in olive oil until dark brown.
2. Drain on lots of paper toweling.
3. In a large, non-stick saucepan, brown the ground beef.
4. Add the onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, spearmint, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cook until mixture is very dry.
6. Lay out 1 sheet of puff pastry.
7. Put 1 layer of eggplant on pastry, leaving a 1 inch border all around.
8. Sprinkle very lightly with salt.
9. Layer ground beef mixture, ham and cheese over eggplant.
10. Starting at one long end, roll up, jelly-roll style, tucking in ends.
11. Brush with half of butter.
12. Preheat oven to 390 degrees F.
13. Place rack on lower third of oven.
14. Repeat with second pastry sheet.
15. Make slits in dough at 1 inch intervals.
16. Bake until golden-brown, 30-40 minutes.
17. If bottom of pastry doesn’t appear done, put baking pan directly on floor of oven for last 10 minutes or so of baking.
18. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting directly through pastry.
19. Note: Feta also makes a good and different tasting roll. Sub it for the cheddar, and use slightly less as it has a sharper/saltier flavour.