Luscious

I'm having terrible computer problems at the moment, the machine works one minute and categorically refuses to play the next, bits freeze, accessories fail and sometimes it just won't wake up. Which is what happened yesterday, when I'd had to turn it off because of the huge thunderstorm. Thunderstorms in France usually do something bad to the electrical supply in the country and I've already lost two computers to their shenanigans. It wouldn't turn on again until this morning, and then threw a tantrum this afternoon as well for no reason I can see.

Luckily yesterday's repast, probably because I don't respond well in thunder either, was a bit of a failure, edible just but extremely ugly and unmemorable. We'll draw a curtain over it and look instead to today's effort.



Daube d'Aubergines is a recipe that has stayed with me for years, originally from a Claudia Roden book, Mediterranean Cooking I think. When I looked in the fridge for inspiration today it was if Claudia was leaning over my shoulder. "Look" she said, "there's that aubergine you don't know what to do with, and those tomatoes need eating up" and then tactfully hiding a sneer she said "and there's that half bottle of red you couldn't finish last night." The half bottle being what was left of my feeble attempt to binge drink myself away from depression over the failed technology.

"You're on!" I thought and this is what I did:

300-400g aubergine.
500g fresh tomatoes.
1/2 bottle of passable red wine.
1 small onion or a couple of shallots.
2 cloves of garlic (or as much as you like really)
2 tsps/ cubes sugar
pinch of allspice
pepper.
salt.
plenty of finely chopped parsley.

Cut the aubergine up into neat pieces, if you're entertaining it's nice to take the skin off but not essential. Use a full teaspoon of salt sprinkled over the cut up fruit and leave for at least 30 minutes to degorge. This step, often considered unnecessary with modern varieties of aubergine is essential in this dish.

Meanwhile make a tomato sauce. Finely chop your onion (or shallots) and garlic and put them with a drop of olive oil in covered pan to soften. Peel the tomatoes by immersing them in boiling water for a minute or two, then remove the cores and chop into small chunks. Again, if entertaining you can remove the seeds at this point but add an extra tomato to keep the weight up. Add the prepared tomatoes to the onions with the sugar and a very little allspice, a pinch or just enough to cover the tip of a knife. Add a generous grinding of black pepper and the half bottle of red wine. Remember the old adage about cooking wine needing to be good enough to drink. Bring everything to a simmer and allow to cook uncovered until the sauce is reduced a little.

Squeeze your salted aubergines hard with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. This will also remove a lot of the salt. Put several tablespoonfuls of good olive oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine until it is lightly golden on at leaast two sides. If it has been well salted it won't take up too much of the oil. Once it's cooked, drain off the excess oil and add the aubergine to the pot of sauce. Allow to simmer, well covered, for about 30 minutes.

This is a dish that really needs the extra lift that the parsley gives it. I didn't have any but I did find some Sweet Cicely in the herb garden. This is a lovely herb with leaves like cow parsley and a mild aniseedy taste which could substitute for chervil at a pinch. It substitutes well for parsley as a green herb for the photo and nearly matches up to it for taste. It also has that rather cute little white flower.

Serve with rice, couscous, pasta even or with some warm crusty bread. This quantity is plenty for two and would probably serve four as a side but it's as delicious cold as it is hot and will make a lovely lunch for tomorrow.