Make vegetarian sausage out of Japanese eggplant!
Here we’ve flavored them using the same spice blend you’d find in Italian sausage. It’s a savory mix of sage, fennel, and other key spices. Serve them hot-dog style on a hoagie roll & top with a hash of diced potatoes, peppers, onions, plus plenty of mustard & even some melted mozzarella if you like.
Italian-Stye Eggplant Sausages
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
6 12-inch long Japanese eggplants, peeled using a vegetable peeler
1 teaspoon ground fennel or fennel pollen
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 12-inch hoagie rolls
Mustard, for garnish
Potato, bell pepper, and onion, cooked in a skillet as a hash, for garnish
1 cup shredded mozzarella, optional
Serves 6
Directions
1. Into a large bowl, pour olive oil over the peeled eggplants and mix so that all of the oil is absorbed.
2. In a small bowl make a spice mixture using the fennel, red pepper flakes, sage, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
3. Coat each eggplant with the spice mixture.
4. Place eggplants in a container and put it into the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.
5. Cook eggplants over medium heat using a cast-iron grill pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until well-marked by the grill grates. You’ll cook for a total of 12 to 16 minutes or until heated through.
6. Serve on warm hoagie rolls that have been slathered in mustard and top with a simple diced and cooked potato, bell pepper, and onion hash.
7. Optional: add the cheese to the top of each and melt under the broiler if you wish.
