French Provincial Cooking - Elizabeth David [140]
Some of the world’s most renowned vegetable dishes are made with aubergines—the Balkan moussaka, in which minced beef or mutton also figures, the Provençal ratatouille, a stew of aubergines, tomatoes, onions and peppers, the Sicilian caponata, a wonderful cold dish with a sweet-sour tomato sauce, the salad or purée of highly-seasoned aubergines which is sometimes rather idiotically called aubergine caviar and, best of all, the Turkish imam bayeldi, a rich and marvellous mixture of onions, tomatoes, spices and aubergines cooked in oil and eaten cold.
A convenient aspect of stewed aubergine dishes is that, provided they have not been overcooked in the first place, they nearly always improve with reheating and are also, with the exception, of course, of fritters and other dishes in which they are quick-fried, just as good cold as hot, and sometimes even better.
BROUILLADE D’AUBERGINES
STEWED AUBERGINES WITH TOMATOES
A Provençal recipe.
Cut 5 medium-sized unpeeled aubergines into small squares. Salt them, leave them to drain for an hour and dry them in a cloth. Heat a coffee-cupful (after-dinner size) of olive oil in a thick frying-pan, and in this cook the aubergines, but not too quickly or the skins will burn. When they are getting soft, drain off any excess of oil and add about 1 lb. skinned and chopped tomatoes; continue cooking until they are reduced almost to a pulp. Stir in a little chopped parsley and garlic, and add salt if necessary. Can be eaten hot or cold. Enough for four.
AUBERGINES AU GRATIN
AUBERGINES BAKED WITH TOMATOES
A dish for those who may find the amount of oil normally used in cooking aubergines excessive.
Slice 2 unpeeled aubergines obliquely and about inch thick. Plunge into boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes. Leave in a colander to drain very thoroughly. Arrange in a large, flat, lightly oiled baking dish. Spread each slice thickly with a coulis of tomatoes, made as in the recipe below, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and chopped parsley, pour a few drops of oil on each slice, cook uncovered in a slow oven for about an hour. Like most aubergine dishes, this one can be eaten hot or cold.
If you have no suitable dish, the aubergine slices can be cooked on a baking sheet.
COULIS DE TOMATES
THICK TOMATO SAUCE
Melt a finely chopped shallot or small onion in a mixture of oil and butter; add 1 lb. of roughly chopped ripe tomatoes; season with salt, a lump of sugar, a little freshly-ground pepper, some chopped parsley and celery leaves or dried basil. Simmer until the tomatoes are soft and thick. Sieve through the food mill. If too liquid, return to the pan and let the sauce dry out a little over gentle heat.
RATATOUILLE NIÇOISE
AUBERGINES, TOMATOES, ONIONS AND PEPPERS STEWED IN OIL
There are any amount of versions of this dish, the variations being mainly in the proportions of each vegetable employed, the vegetables themselves being nearly always the same ones: aubergines, sweet peppers, onions, tomatoes, with courgettes sometimes being added and occasionally potatoes as well. Some people add mushrooms, but this is a rather pointless addition because they get completely lost in the mass of other vegetables. Garlic is optional, but the cooking medium must be olive oil.
To make a dish of ratatouille sufficient for about eight people, the ingredients are 3 medium-sized onions, 3 large aubergines, 3 large sweet red peppers, 3 courgettes, 4 large tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, a few coriander seeds, fresh or dried basil if available, or parsley, 2 coffee-cups (after-dinner size) of olive oil.
Prepare the vegetables by slicing the onions thinly and cutting the unpeeled aubergines and courgettes into inch thick rounds and then into cubes. The aubergines, and the courgettes if they are being used, should be sprinkled with salt and put into a colander with a plate and a weight on the top, so that excess moisture is pressed out. This will take an hour or so. Cut the peppers in half, remove the core and all the seeds, wash