Eggplant Preserve

 In my country, Argentina, preserves are popular in the whole country. We called it, "escabeches", a word derivative from the Arabic that means "stew and vinegar". We eat them mostly as an appetizer, especially before a great "asado" (Argentinian barbecue) or just as a snack over a loaf of bread with a glass of wine or beer. Eggplant preserve is one of the most popular recipes in my country, since it is cheaper, easy to do and the ingredients are really simple and easy to get.

Eggplant preserve by Edle Julve

During my childhood I was not very fond of eggplant preserve, I simply did not like the flavor, or maybe my maternal grandmother did not make it very tasty. As humans, we change constantly, and nowadays it is in my top list of preserves (I like very much, cucumber and veal tongue preserve). In some way, I can say this is "my version" of eggplant preserve. I really enjoy strong tastes in food, the combination of garlic, parsley, vinegar and oil is perfect and works in several foods. 

 

Ingredients

    - 1 eggplants 
    - 4 garlic cloves
    - 5 sprigs of parsley
    - 2 tbsp Cayenne chili (optional)
    - 1 tbsp paprika
    - 2  tbsp oregano
    - 1 cup vegetable oil  (canola or                  olive)
    - 1/2 cup vinegar
    - 1 bay leaf        
    - Salt/pepper to taste 

Preparation

1) Cut the the eggplant stem, then you can choose what size you want. Personally I prefer no more than a 1 to 1,5 cm thick, and triangular shape. Round or square cuts are fine, but always even.

2) In a bowl put the eggplant cut and sprinkle salt (a generous amount) and then pour cold water. This step is really important, because through this it is avoided the natural bitterness going to our preserve. Let the eggplant in water with salt for 10 - 15 minutes. The water will turn from clear to dark. After that we clean the cuts in cold water to remove salt.

3) In a pot pour water, salt and the bay leaf. When water boils we put the eggplant cuts in three or two batches. We cook for 7 minutes and then we strain in a colander. Meanwhile, chop garlic and parsley finely.

4) While eggplant cool down, mix oil, vinegar, cayenne chili, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley.

5) In a bowl, put eggplant and the preserve mix. Correct salt and pepper. Put eggplant preserve in jars or a plastic container with a lid. Let the preserve repose for 24 hours in refrigerator or room temperature. The flavor will intensify and settle after that time.

 

 Suggestions:

The eggplant preserve can be turn into a dip, using a blender you can get a delicious eggplant paste to spread on toasts or a sandwich.