aubergine
There are many occasions and non occasions which call for a party at our house with lots of friends and family who are happy to join in like: harvest time, picking the olives, long weekends during summer and winter ,birthdays ,religious festivals ,in short any excuse. For us Italians there is no party without tables full of good food and wine. I really enjoy preparing and cooking the food while Nick is in charge of keeping the outside wood oven hot whatever the weather. Everybody does their share, some bring wine, others bake cakes and sometimes my mother very kindly makes homemade pasta. Other times she has made and brought a delicious dish of aubergine cooked in tomato sauce and every time my proud father can’t resist telling us “mangia mangia queste sono speciali” (eat,eat,these are special) . And he`s right, they are fantastic. So I decided to ask my mother for the recipe to share with you. You must be patient and do not be put off by the preparation time as the end result is well worth it and every mouthful of this dish will transport you into the kitchen of an Italian mamma, my mamma actually! Buon appetito
Serves 4
6 long aubergine
2 cloves garlic
Evo oil
500 g peeled tomatoes in cans
A handful of basil
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
How it work:
Cut the aubergine lengthwise into four. Deprive any quarter of aubergine from the white part inside, leaving only a few millimeters of pulp to skin . Cut again each slice of aubergine in half lengthwise and the width. Place the eggplants in a colander with a salt between each layer. Place a weight on top (a pot full of water) and leave overnight.
Wring vigorously the aubergine with your hands. In a pan heat the oil with garlic. When the garlic is golden, remove and add the aubergine. Cook for a few minutes over high heat. Remove aubergine and set aside. In the same pan, cook the tomatoes for 15 minutes. Combine the aubergine and basil leaves. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the Parmesan ,mix off the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes .Serve
Always looking for new / different recipes for aubergines this certainly sounds worth a try.