marinated aubergine/eggplant

I first tried the following recipe for marinated aubergine at the home of our good friends, Jack and Julie, who live on the Gold Coast. They both love to cook and whenever we get together there is always a bit of kitchen combat to see who can come up with something new. They got me on this one! Not only a memorable dish but also a memorable stay and one we hope to repeat soon. Since then I have come across variations of this recipe but have decided they get the trophy. Thanks J&J for introducing me to something unforgettable. I’ll get you next time round!

Ingredients:

750g slender aubergine

Salt to cover to extract juices

Oil for frying

80ml extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, crushed with a little salt

1 anchovy fillet

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Method:

Slice the aubergine into diagonal pieces, salt and leave for 30 minutes in a colander. Rinse with cold water and pat the pieces dry on paper towels.

Heat the oil and brown the slices on a char-grill plate or in a frying pan in a little olive oil then drain on kitchen paper.

Mix (80ml) olive oil, balsamic, anchovy and garlic in a blender or small food processor or simply place in a bowl and mix together with a fork making sure the anchovy is well smashed.

Transfer the cooked aubergine to a serving dish and toss to cover each piece with the dressing. Cover and leave for half a day in the fridge or better still, overnight. Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.

This is a great antipasto (Italian hors d’oeuvre) dish, one of several for antipasti.

click this link for a printer friendly version of this recipe:

https://sites.google.com/site/foodvineprintablerecipes/home/marinated-aubergines