Recipe 3, Moorish Eggplant

Found in Libre del Coch, 1529 Ruperto de Nola, Spain. Translation by Lady Brighid ni Chiarain

Found on Stefan’s Florilegium

Recipe number, 52, Moorish Eggplant; Berenjenas a la Morisca

Peel the eggplants and quarter them, and their skins having been peeled, set them to cook; and when they are well cooked remove them from the fire, and then squeeze them between two wooden chopping blocks, so they do not retain water. And then chop them with a knife. And let them goto the pot and let them be gently fried, very well, with good bacon or with sweet oil, because the Moors do not eat bacon. And when they are gently fried, set them to cook in a pot and cast in good fatty broth, and the fat of meat, and grated cheese which is fine, and above all, ground coriander; and then stir it with a haravillo like gourds; and when they are nearly cooked, put in egg yolks beaten with verjuice, as if they were gourds.

Moorish Eggplant

315 gm eggplant

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp whole corriander crushed

180 ml meat broth

40 gm Gouda grated

1 egg yolk

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Cut stem from eggplant and peel

Boil in salted water 10-15 minutes until soft

Drain

Squeeze as dry as you can

Heat oil in the pan

Add corriander and lightly toast

Add eggplant, fry for 5 min

Add broth

Bring to simmer

Add egg yolk blended with vinegar

Add cheese

Stir through and serve

This is one eggplant, serves 2-3 people