Delicious Nightshade
aubergines, tomatoes and a cold parmigiana
I was just going to call this Substack something boring and alliterative like ‘almighty aubergine’ (spoiler alert, this week’s recipe is an aubergine one), but as I read a little around the bulbous, purple vegetable, I came across something a little more exotic-sounding. The nightshade is a vast, sprawling family of about 2300 species of plants, encompassing everything from tobacco, to the deadly nightshade, to aubergines, potatoes and tomatoes. Before doing my research, I’d always associated the name with lethal, forest-dwelling flowers (deadly nightshade is pretty much what it says on the tin). There’s something brilliantly evocative about the word - it sounds like it’s been plucked straight from the pages of a dark fairytale. My understanding of the plant was only partly misconceived, however, as even the juicy tomato plant is actually poisonous if consumed: a nibble on the leaves and stems can lead to stomach pain, weakness and even difficulty breathing. So my takeaway from this week’s veggie deep dive was: dancing with death is damn delicious (just stick to the tomatoes/aubergines/potatoes themselves, not their stems 🙃).
Anyway, the reason for my ramblings is because July is the height of aubergine season in Europe. They’re at their plumpest, purplest and most perfect, and currently on permanent rotation in our kitchen. Aubergines are probably in my top three veg, both for their amazing versatility and for the brilliant vehicle they provide for anything oily or saucey. Whilst not the most low-maintenance of vegetables (I feel like I use a gallon of oil and a small mountain of salt every time I fry them), when properly cooked they are amongst the finest, succulent mouthfuls of veg that you can eat. I topped and tailed my recent trip to Italy with two dishes boasting aubergine at its finest. First, with my mother’s parmigiana,lovingly layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan, and last, with this aubergine dish I’m about to share. Essentially, a cheat’s room temp rip off of the aforementioned parmigiana.
Anyway, it’s FINALLY hot in London today, and I’m taking this for a picnic in a park. Ciao xxx
Deconstructed Parmigiana with Confit Tomatoes and Pangrattato
Serves 4, as a side
250ml olive oil, plus extra to finish
2 stems of rosemary
400g small plum tomatoes
2 aubergine, cut into 0.8mm-thick round slices
150g yellow datterini tomatoes, halved
2 mozzarella balls
a handful of basil, leaves individually picked
flakey sea salt and black pepper
for the pangrattato
3 slices of stale sourdough
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 lemon, zest
1 pinch of salt
For the confit tomatoes, place the olive oil, whole plum tomatoes, rosemary stems and a large pinch of salt in a saucepan. Cook on the lowest possible heat for 1 hour, until the tomatoes are tender, glossy and coming away from their skins. If the oil starts to bubble vigorously, remove from the heat to cool slightly, before returning to the hob. Gently spoon out the confit tomatoes from the oil and set aside.
Using the residual confit oil, brush the aubergine slices generously on each side and sprinkle with salt. In a frying pan, fry in batches on medium heat, turning half way once the underside is soft and gently browned.
For the pangrattato, blitz the stale bread in a blender until you have coarse breadcrumbs. Stir through the dried rosemary and salt. In a frying pan, gently fry the garlic in the oil until fragrant, then add the breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Fry until golden brown, stirring frequently.
To assemble, start by laying out the aubergine slices, followed by the confit tomatoes and their juices and the datterini halves. Tear the mozzarella on top, followed by a generous sprinkling of pangrattato, the basil and a drizzle more of olive oil.
Thank you so much for reading! If you liked the recipe (or the ramblings) I’d love to hear your feedback 💛 and please do share the love using the link below.