Aubergine en Pistouille (Egglant a la Greque with tomatoes and basil)
Aubergines en Pistouille, Froides
Cold Eggplant a la Greque with Tomatoes and Basil
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. II by Julia Child and Simone Beck
Eggplant simmered in a court bouillon, turned briefly in oil to enhance its flavor, then folded into tomatoes that have also cooked in the court bouillon. A final touch is the pistou of garlic and basil, which makes this an especially good cold hors d'oeuvres with sardines, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, olives, or other Provencal trimmings.
For the court bouillon:
3 cups water
1½ tsp. salt
6 coriander seeds (or more)
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 bay leaf (or more)
¼ tsp. dried thyme (or several sprigs fresh)
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
1½ Tbs. lemon juice
2 lbs. Firm shiny eggplant
Olive oil
3 to 4 Tbs. minced shallots or scallions
1½ lb. (6 medium) tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced and cut into ½-inch dice*
1 or 2 cloves garlic
¼ cup fresh basil, minced (or about ½ Tbs. fragrant dried basil or oregano)
3 Tbs. Minced parsley
A 3-cup stainless saucepan for the court bouillon
A colander set over a bowl
A heavy no-stick frying pan (10 to 12 inches in diameter if possible)
A serving dish
A garlic press
Combine the court bouillon ingredients in the saucepan and simmer at least 5 minutes, or while you are preparing the eggplant. (Stain the liquid into a bowl and return it to the pan.) Peel eggplant and cut into ¾-inch cubes. Place half (4 cups) in the simmering court bouillon, bring to the boil, and boil and simmer 5 minutes. Drain into the bowl, return court bouillon to the pan, and simmer the rest of the eggplant. Drain, return court bouillon to the pan again, boil down rapidly to 1 cup, and reserve. Meanwhile, pour a 1/16-inch layer of oil into the frying pan and saute drained eggplant (adding only half if pan is small), using moderately high heat. Shake and swirl the pan frequently by its handle to toss the eggplant, and saute for several minutes, until eggplant it tender but not browned. Turn into serving dish, leaving oil in pan.
Stir shallots or scallions into the frying pan and cook for a moment, than add the tomatoes and the reduced court bouillon. Boil slowly for 5 minutes, then raise heat and boil rapidly until liquid has almost evaporated and the tomatoes are quite thick. Correct seasoning. Puree garlic through press into a small bowl; using a wooden spoon, mash with herbs to make a smooth paste; fold this pistou into the hot tomatoes. Then fold the tomatoes into the eggplant. When cold, cover and chill. Sprinkle on the parsley before serving.
*To peel tomatoes drop them one or two at a time in boiling water to cover,, and boil for 10 seconds. Remove. Cut out the stem. Peel off the skin starting from the stem hole. To seed and juice tomatoes, cut in half crosswise, not through the stem. Squeeze each half gently to extract the seeds and juices from the center of the tomato.
(Joe's notes: I use much more coriander and herbs in the court bouillon, (but not more lemon or salt). I also blanch the basil leaves briefly in the boiling water used to blanch the tomatoes—I lower it in a strainer and boil a few seconds, then rinse under cold water. This keeps it from discoloring when you mince it. Adding a few yellow tomatoes to the mix makes for a more colorful dish.)
