Striped aubergines in a pickle
Melanzane striate alla scapece
Apart from the colour pattern there is nothing to distinguish striped aubergines from the ordinary purple or white versions, but who can resist innovations in food design?
I could not, and decided to dress up these striped aubergines in a pickle following a traditional recipe from Naples. In Italy vegetables such as aubergine, cauliflower and zucchini are often prepared alla scapece which basically means they are marinated in vinegar and frequently also spiced with garlic. An ancient way to preserve produce and make it keep for a longer period of time. This version of aubergines in a pickle is slightly different from the one previously shared, but it still works well with salami or soft cheese such as mozzarella or burrata.
Ingredients
2 striped aubergines
50 ml water
50 ml white wine vinegar
Olive oil
1 clove of garlic
Mint leaves
Salt
Preparation
Wash the striped aubergines and cut them into cubes.
Sprinkle the aubergine cubes with salt and leave them for half an hour.
Rinse off the salt and dry the aubergines on a piece of absorbent paper.
Heat up the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine cubes until golden.
Place the golden aubergine cubes on a piece of absorbent paper to drain off excess oil.
Bring water and vinegar to the boil.
Peel and slice the garlic and mix it with the aubergines along with fresh mint leaves.
Pour the vinegar and water over the striped aubergines and allow them to rest at least 2 hours before serving.
Aaah thanks so much for sharing this – aubergines are one of my favourite vegetables to eat when I”m out and about and yet, the few times I have bought them myself, I have struggled to make anything even remotely palatable and am never quite sure what to do with them to jazz it up but this sounds like a great place to start and break that trend!
What a pity. You can make an aubergine taste like anything – it’s so easily adaptable. Have you tried the Turkish way of burning an aubergine over open fire till its black and soft. Peel off the skin. And mash the pulp with olive oil, garlic and if possible a few mint leaves for decoration. it’s fabulous.