July 9, 2018
Argentines love meat.
I mean, they really, really love meat!
When visiting family in Patagonia a number of years ago we had a meal that went something like this:
- Appetizer: Fried calamari (15 kilos, no less)
- First course: Grilled lamb chops
- Second course: Grilled steak
- Third course: Grilled chicken
- Fourth course: Grilled sausage
All that was followed by maté, a caffeine-containing tisane made from the leaves of a native tree.
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A tisane would be tea, if it were made from tea leaves but, since it’s not made from tea leaves, it isn’t properly called tea. A tisane is different from a decoction though we sometimes erroneously call both of them tea.
In a tisane, the botanicals are steeped in hot water, as is tea. Whereas, for a decoction, the ingredients are actually boiled.
I don’t remember what dessert was but we had something!
To be fair, there were some vegetables on the table. But they didn’t migrate far from us Americans sitting at one end. The heads of this extended family, my husband’s great uncle and aunt from Italy, made a bit of a nod in the direction of vegetables. Their children, grandchildren, and the various spouses and significant others wanted nothing at all to do with anything that once had roots.
Nonetheless, Argentines excel at making side dishes that compliment grilled meat. This eggplant is one example. (I’m not sure who, exactly, eats these dishes but they do appear on tables!)
This eggplant great for a crowd since it is made in advance and can sit in the fridge for several days, getting better each day. It’s a perfect accompaniment to grille meats. That’s a plus now that summer grilling season is here.
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I really like having an array of dishes in my repertoire that don’t require much (or any) last minute fussing when I’m trying to feed a crowd. This dish fits the bill perfectly.
I frequently get asked for the recipe which tells me it’s generally well liked.
Now that summer grilling season is upon us, give this a try! I promise you won’t be sorry.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Passive Time | 25 hours |
| Servings |
people
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- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 bay leaves preferably fresh
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups water
Ingredients
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- Peel the eggplant.
- Slice the eggplant into rounds approximately 1/8 inch thick.
- Salt the eggplant slices liberally and place them in a colander.
- Put a saucer on top of the eggplant and add a weight, such as a few canned goods.
- Allow the eggplant to sweat and drain for an hour.
- Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Set aside.
- Rinse and drain the eggplant.
- Bring the vinegar and water to a boil.
- Working in batches, add a few eggplant slices to the boiling vinegar and water mixture. Cook for 1 minute after the mixture returns to a boil.
- Blot the cooked eggplant on paper towels.
- Put a layer of cooked eggplant in a non-reactive container, such as a glass baking dish.
- Drizzle the eggplant with some of the olive oil mixture.
- Repeat layers of eggplant drizzled with the oil mxiture until all ingredients are used.
- Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the eggplant.
- Put a dish or plate on the plastic wrap to weigh down the eggplant. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Allow the eggplant to come to cool room temperature and remove the bay leaves before serving.
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