2. Drain the aubergines and squeeze dry in a towel. Place in a pan with the other ingredients. Cover and cook over a low heat until the aubergines are tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed and the sauce is rich.
Method
3. Set aside to cool and serve garnished with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
- Usually aubergines are a beautiful, dark, vibrant purple but there are other varieties, particularly in the countryside, which are pale and marbled. So the clue to choosing good ones is making sure they are smooth and shiny on the outside, as well as being firm to the touch.
They belong to the nightshade family and have a naturally occurring enzyme that can leave a bitter aftertaste in some dishes. Luckily, it is easy to ‘sweat’ them by salting which accomplishes two goals:
- Sprinkle slices or chunks of the aubergine with salt and let sit for 30 mins – 1 hour. Incidentally, I notice that all the River House Cafe recipes recommend 1 hour as well as putting a plate on top with a heavy weight to push down on the slices. Rinse the salt off with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. The drier they are, the less greasy the final result will be.
Personally I have found that the bitterness has become much less pronounced over the years but I would certainly advocate salting for any dish which requires frying in oil first as the amount of oil you use will definitely be less.
I also like peeling in stripes as in this recipe. The skin doesn’t become hard as it does when left whole.
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