Tapered eggplants and a mix of large and medium tomatoes will give your stacks a more graceful appearance.
If you aren't able to grill outdoors, cook eggplant in a hot lightly oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderately high heat, turning over once, about 20 to 25 minutes total. Bake stacks in shallow baking pan in a preheated 450°F oven, about 8 minutes.
Recipe information
Total Time
50 min
Yield
Makes 4 light-lunch or first-course servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Blend basil with oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in blender until finely chopped. Pour into a paper-towel- or coffee-filter-lined sieve set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes. Gather together sides of towel or filter and press gently on it to extract more oil. (You will have a generous 1/3 cup oil.) Reserve 1 tablespoon basil oil separately for serving. Scrape basil solids into a small bowl and reserve.
Step 2
Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas); see "Grilling Procedure," below.
Step 3
While grill heats, cut off bottoms of eggplants, then cut 6 (1/2-inch-thick) crosswise rounds from each, starting from cut end. Reserve remaining eggplant for another use. Cut 4 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds from large tomato and 2 center slices (1/3 inch thick) from each medium tomato, reserving remaining tomato for another use.
Step 4
Lightly brush eggplant rounds on both sides with basil oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill on a lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over occasionally, lightly brushing eggplant with more basil oil occasionally if it looks dry, until eggplant is very tender, 6 to 10 minutes. (Leave gas grill on.)
Make stacks:
Step 5
On baking pan, arrange 4 largest eggplant rounds side by side and spread each with a generous 1/2 teaspoon of reserved basil solids, then top each with 1 of 4 largest tomato rounds. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and top each with about 1 tablespoon feta. Make another layer with medium-size eggplant rounds, basil solids, medium tomato rounds, salt, pepper, and feta, then top with remaining eggplant and feta.
Step 6
Set baking pan on grill and cook stacks, with grill cover closed, until heated through and cheese on top is softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer stacks to 4 plates and drizzle plates with reserved basil oil.
Grilling Procedure
Step 7
If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. When charcoal turns grayish white (about 15 minutes from lighting), hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack to determine heat for charcoal as follows:
Step 8
Hot: When you can hold your hand there for 1 to 2 seconds
Step 9
Medium-hot: 3 to 4 seconds
Step 10
Low: 5 to 6 seconds
Step 11
If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then, if necessary, reduce to heat specified in recipe.
