Mojmir on Tilna's parmigiana: 'You can feel the love'

In the third MasterChef Slovenia show, the contestants competed in a challenge consisting of two rounds. In the first, they had to use their culinary knowledge to correctly match ingredients with the names of dishes, thus earning baskets with which they then cooked in the second round. Among them was Tilen Zonta, who prepared parmigiano, a dish that made him fall in love with cooking years ago, and this time he also impressed the judges with it.

The love of food began at an exchange

While cooking, Tilen revealed that a study exchange in France played a significant role in his love of cooking. He went there primarily because he wanted to experience France and learn the language, but life quickly took him a little more towards Italy. "The fact is that 90 percent of the Erasmus students were Italians. I quickly connected with them and we spent a whole year there together, going out to eat, cooking together and everything revolved around food. That's when I fell in love with it," he explained.

He still remembers a visit to a friend in Rome, where his mother made him what he calls "the best pasta." He was even more impressed by a visit to a friend in Naples, where he first encountered parmigiano. "There was this strange dish on the table and I didn't recognize it. I was debating whether or not to try it. When I put it in my mouth, my head exploded. Such umami, such texture. I couldn't believe that a vegetarian dish made of eggplant, tomatoes, and cheese could have such a taste. That's when a new world opened up to me."

"Feel the love"

Tilen presented the very dish that opened the door to the world of cuisine for him years ago to the judges this time. Mojmir Šiftar admitted to him before the tasting that they were happy that he had been impressed by such a simple and modest dish. After the first bite, he did not hide his excitement. "Oh my god! Saint Lucia, how beautiful! You can feel the love and I can see why this dish was the one that convinced you about cuisine. Wow!"

Luka Jezeršek was also impressed: "This is fantastic. Very good." Karim Merdjadi, however, found nothing on the plate that needed to be changed: "There is no need for corrections, for adding anything else. This is it."

The praise earned Tiln a long-awaited spot on the balcony. "I enjoyed today's cooking and it really suited me. Finally, this balcony, it was ready. I gave it my all and if I didn't go for the first time with one of my favorite dishes, at least I convinced the judges with the parmigiano," he said after his success, adding from the balcony in his own style: "The view is beautiful here, I recommend it."

Prepare Tilenova Parmigiano at home

The dish that got Tilna excited about cooking years ago has now earned him a spot on the MasterChef balcony. Check out his parmigiano recipe below and make it yourself.

Ingredients

- 2 large eggplants - 500 ml tomato passata - 2 cloves garlic - olive oil - frying oil - mozzarella fior di latte - parmesan - basil - salt - pepper - sugar

Preparation process

Cut the eggplants lengthwise or crosswise into slices no more than 1 cm thick and salt them on both sides. Let them rest until drops of water begin to form on the surface, at least 10 to 15 minutes. Then wipe the eggplants with a paper towel and fry them in a little oil until very caramelized. In the meantime, prepare the tomato puree or šugu. Fry the garlic in a little olive oil until nicely browned and fragrant. Remove from the heat for a moment to cool slightly, then pour in the passata. Return to the heat and mix well. Add a few basil leaves and season with salt, pepper and sweeten to taste. Cook over low heat for at least 15 minutes. When the eggplants are roasted and the šugu is ready, cover the bottom of the baking dish with the first layer of tomato šugu. Add a layer of eggplant and another layer of sug, then tear the mozzarella with your hands, add grated Parmesan and a few fresh basil leaves. Repeat for at least three more layers of eggplant, sug, mozzarella and Parmesan. Do not add mozzarella and basil to the last layer, but only sug and Parmesan, which we do not skimp on. Place the baking tray in the oven, heated to 200 degrees Celsius, for at least 30 minutes, or until the top layer of parmigiana has a dark brown crust, which may even be black in some parts. When the parmigiana is ready, cool it and serve on a plate with additional Parmesan and fresh basil. If you can resist it, the dish will be even better the next day, when the flavors have fully developed. You can reheat it or eat it cold.