Rachel Roddy’s Recipe For Sweet-and-sour Aubergines With Capers, Pine Nuts And Mint | A Kitchen In Rome

The heaviest cookbook I ain is Profumi di Sicilia, which I bought from a secondhand bookshop successful Tor Marancia nan aforesaid day I twisted my ankle. The mishap had thing to do pinch nan 3.1kg book, which was already safely connected nan backmost spot of nan car by nan clip I didn’t announcement nan kerb aliases nan cyclist. Years on, and nan segment repeats connected maine whenever I spot nan pick screen of not conscionable nan heaviest, but possibly nan astir handsome cookbook connected my shelves. Written by nan journalist Giuseppe Coria and first published by Vito Cavallotto Editore successful 1981, Profumi di Sicilia is an encyclopaedic exploration of Sicilian location cooking – nan smells, ingredients, recipes, folklore, trivia, traditions and origins. A important portion of nan book’s awesome beauty is nan photographs of ingredients, dishes and scenes by Melo Minnella, which saturate nan pages pinch colour and which look successful pairs each 8 pages of text.

Broken into galore acquainted chapters and subchapters, pinch mini statement drawings – a snail, bowl, murphy aliases flask – nan hundreds of recipes are successful paragraph form, pinch galore containing nary quantities astatine each – conscionable a explanation of really to put ingredients together to make X. Others, meanwhile, person circumstantial quantities included successful nan descriptive paragraph, but ever pinch plentifulness of leeway; Giuseppe’s expertise to judge erstwhile a reader/cook needs wide proposal and erstwhile they request circumstantial quantities is not conscionable impressive, but inspiring.

The awesome number of recipes for each ingredient, which tally into each different successful communicative style, besides makes nan book a good, applicable root of inspiration erstwhile you person an constituent you are not rather judge what to do with, and dream nan solution involves things you already person successful nan house. Last week, that was aubergines, which are now disposable each year, I know, but which are astatine their champion from July to September (and besides plentiful and, therefore, bully value). Giuseppe has 25 aubergine recipes, and my favourites see braised successful oliva lipid pinch potatoes and mint, arsenic portion of a caponata pinch capers and conifer nuts, and “in agrodolce”. This week’s look is simply a operation of each three.

Giuseppe suggests chromatic arsenic the dolce (sweet) element, alongside red-wine vinegar to supply nan agro (or nan sour/acidic balance). Warming the 2 successful a frying cookware is ideal, because location is past plentifulness of abstraction to rotation nan roast aubergine wedges successful nan dressing earlier adding nan capers, conifer nuts and mint, which is simply a earthy and feisty partner for nan velvet texture of nan veg.

Much for illustration caponata and scapece, this is champion near to beryllium for astatine slightest an hr earlier eating, turning nan aubergine wedges a fewer times truthful they sop up nan dressing. Sweet-and-sour aubergines pinch capers, conifer nuts and mint goes spectacularly good pinch lamb chops (mint condiment lovers will admit this), arsenic good arsenic pinch roast chickenhearted aliases hard-boiled eggs. Alternatively, service it alongside different room somesthesia dishes specified arsenic tabbouleh, chickpea and roast reddish pepper, aliases a herb salad.

Sweet-and-sour aubergines pinch capers, conifer nuts and mint

Serves 4

2 ample aliases 4 slender aubergines
Olive oil
Salt
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey, aliases sugar
2 tbsp mini capers
1 tsp pine nuts, aliases chopped almonds
1 fistful fresh mint leaves, left full is small, ripped if large

Pull nan stalks disconnected nan aubergines, past trim them into agelong pieces (quarters aliases eighths, depending connected nan size of nan aubergines). Rub pinch nan oliva lipid and immoderate brackish (hands are nan champion instrumentality for this), past put connected a tray and cook 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 for 25 minutes, turning 2 aliases 3 times, until golden, soft and wrinkled.

Meanwhile, lukewarm nan vinegar and chromatic successful a frying pan, tasting to make judge that it is some saccharine and sour to your liking. Add six tablespoons of oliva lipid and sensation again. Add nan roast aubergine successful batches, turning until they glisten, past assistance connected to a serving plate, leaving astir of nan condiment successful nan pan.

Add nan capers, nuts and mint to nan sweet-and-sour sauce, power for a minute, past move complete nan aubergines. Leave to beryllium for astatine slightest 30 minutes, turning occasionally, earlier serving.