Eggplants Foggia Style (Apulia)

Appetizers

Ingredients

Round Eggplants - 6 medium sized

Salt

Ripe tomatoes, sliced - 1/2 pound

Olive oil - 1/2 cup

Stuffing:

Olive oil - 5 tbps

Garlic, crushed - 1 clove

Ripe tomatoes - 1 pound

Salt and pepper

Sugar 

Basil, finely chopped - 2 sprigs

Parsley, finely chopped - 3 sprigs

Breadcrumbs - 1/4 cup

Wipe the eggplants with a damp cloth. Slice off the stem ends, reserving them to use later as "lids". Scoop out as much pulp as possible, but leave sufficient to make a firm shell. Reserve the pulp. Sprinkle the shells lightly with salt and turn them upside down to drain on a sloping plate or in a colander for 1-2 hours.

Stuffing: Heat the oil in a frying pan, and fry the garlic clove until brown. Discard it, Peel and chop the tomatoes, discarding seeds. Add them to the pan, stir well then add the eggplant pulp. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of vinegar, and stir in the basil and parsley. Cook over a brisk heat for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and add the breadcrumbs. Mix well.

Rinse the eggplant shells, dry them carefully and fill them with the stuffing. Close the openings with their "lids" and pack them tightly together, lids uppermost in a shallow pan. Cover with a tomato slices, trickle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Add about 1/2 cup water, cover the pan and cook over a low heat, shaking the pan occasionally for about 1 hour or until the eggplants are soft. Add a little more water if the liquid in the pan evaporates too quickly. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 6