Chicken with Eggplants (Sicily)

Meat

Ingredients

Chicken, 3 pounds - 1

Eggplants - 5

Salt

Olive oil - 1 cup

Garlic, crushed - 1 clove

Pepper

Dry white wine - 1 cup

Ripe tomatoes - 1 pound

Ham fat or streaky bacon, finely chopped - 1/4 pound

Stock or water

Parsley, finely chopped - 2-3 sprigs

Wipe the chicken with a damp cloth and cut it into four pieces. Wash the eggplants and cut them into small pieces; sprinkle with salt and leave in a colander or on a tilted plate for 1 hour to drain off their bitter juices.

Heat about a third of the olive oil in a casserole and saute the garlic until brown. Discard it and add the pieces of chicken. Fry them evenly all over until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the wine and cook, uncovered, over a moderate heat until it has evaporated.

Peel and chop the tomatoes, discarding seeds, and add them to the chicken as soon as the wine has evaporated. Add the ham fat. Taste for salt, cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Moisten with a little hot stock or water if necessary.

Heat the remaining oil in another pan. Wipe the eggplant pieces dry and fry them over a high heat for 15 minutes, sprinkled generously with pepper and parsley. Stir them gently into the casserole a few minutes before the chicken is ready. Serve very hot.

Serves 4