8/7/2023 0 Comments Stuffed bluey![]() ![]() My version has two stuffings: the first of scooped-out aubergine flesh mixed with tomato, capers and anchovies, and the second soft white breadcrumbs pulsed with a bit more tomato, herbs and olive oil, which bake into a crisp and golden cover. In Sicily, such recipes are sometimes called tabacchier a di melanzane, or aubergine snuff boxes – the parliamentary snuff box being a better comparison. Inspiration this week comes from the countless recipes that call for aubergine halves to be hollowed out and the flesh cooked with other things, before being packed back in like a roof-rack box for a family camping holiday. Another benefit of salting is that, even when the coarse salt is brushed away, some seasoning is left. ![]() So, when faced with those (and if I have time), I sprinkle the slices with coarse salt and leave them to sit for 30 minutes, before brushing off any water droplets and salt and blotting them dry. Astringency, though, the puckering kind, is often an issue with very young or mature fruit that has done time in cold storage. Although not by me, because I think the amount is negligible, plus I always fry or bake them in good-tasting olive oil. There is another effect, too: apparently, less water means less oil is absorbed in the subsequent cooking, which is why, even with modern varieties carefully bred to be sweeter and free from excessive bitterness, salting is sometimes suggested. In the past, aubergines were inherently bitter, and salting was a way of breaking down the cells in order to draw out that bitterness in the form of drops. ![]() Fortunately, there are aubergines in the kitchen, too – Vincenzo calls them the keenest vegetable, ready to soak up anything you give them.Īdvice is mixed when it comes to salting. It is a print by the Sicilian artist Lia Fiore a psychedelic, summer daydream that provides me with an ideal escape at least once a day, and often reminds me that I’m hungry, for pasta, or for aubergine with plenty of salt and oil. There is also a hot dog, an apricot, the start of a letter and a glass filled with red and pink that could be Campari or cherry. A n aubergine hangs above my desk it is on a tablecloth that looks like a latticed jam tart, beside a plate of pasta, a pair of binoculars and the sea, from which two tiny figures wave. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |