I have been wanting to try out Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s aubergine parmigiana for a while now. Last night was the night.
The dish was surprisingly easy to make. I am usually skeptical of cooking simple dishes, fearing that simplicity will compromise flavour, but I needn’t have worried in this case: the dish was delicious. Saying that, I would recommend using a splash of raspberry wine vinegar in the tomato sauce to give the parmigiana a fruity kick. We enjoyed this with a bottle of Te Mata Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (the parmigiana really brought out the blackcurrant overtones) and fresh green salad.
Aubergine parmigiana
Serves 2
2 medium aubergines (about 500g)
1 buffalo mozarella, torn into pieces
20g parmesan, finely grated
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
2x400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
a sprinkle of sugar
sea salt and ground black pepper
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.
1.Trim the aubergines and slice lengthways into 3-5mm thick slices.
2. Layer the slices in a colander, sprinkling each layer with a little sea salt. Leave to draw the juices for an hour or so. (I skipped this step because of time pressure).
3. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a very large, wide pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and fry gently for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and the bay leaf. I would recommend adding a splash of raspberry wine vinegar at this point. Bring to a simmer and then simmer briskly, stirring often, for half an hour or until the sauce is thick and rich (mine took about 15-20 mins). Season with salt and pepper and sugar, to taste.
4. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, fry a batch of aubergine slices for about 2 mins on each side, until golden and tender. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining aubergine slices, adding a little more oil to the pan before you fry each batch.
5. In a small ovenproof dish (I used a small 18x20cm dish), at least 5cm deep, lay a third of the aubergine slices so they cover the bottom of the dish. Then cover with a third of the tomato sauce. Dot a third of the mozzarella over the sauce, then scatter a thin layer of grated cheese over that. Repeat with the remaining ingredients so you have three layers of everything in the dish.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.
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