The rain started before I was properly awake and then simply refused to stop, so the whole day rearranged itself around being indoors. I’d planned a walk to the market anyway and went, under the umbrella that turns inside out at every gust — I came home with two aubergines, a bunch of basil, and thoroughly wet ankles. The neighbor’s cat was waiting on my step looking like a drowned opinion, so she got toweled off and a saucer of milk and spent the rest of the afternoon asleep on the chair by the radiator, which is more than I managed.
The aubergines turned into a proper melanzane alla parmigiana, the sort of dish that takes an afternoon and almost no skill, only patience with the frying. I sliced them, salted them, and left them in a colander for an hour — they give up a surprising amount of water — then fried them in olive oil, layered them with tomato, basil, and a mix of mozzarella and Pecorino, and baked it until it bubbled at the edges. The kitchen went warm and smelled of basil and hot oil, and the rain on the window made it feel like a legitimate way to spend a Tuesday.
While the slices were draining I finally dealt with the kettle, which had gone white and furry inside and was taking forever to boil. Half water, half vinegar, boil, let it sit, rinse twice — ten minutes and it was bright inside again, and the water tastes of water. It struck me I’d spent the afternoon doing the same trick twice: the salt pulling the water out of the aubergines, the vinegar pulling the scale out of the kettle. Take out the thing that doesn’t belong and what’s left behaves the way it should. I ate a square of the parmigiana cold, standing at the counter, later in the evening, and honestly it was better than warm.
Recipe: Melanzane alla Parmigiana
Ingredients
- 2 large aubergines, sliced lengthwise about 1 cm thick
- salt
- olive oil for frying
- 500 g ripe tomatoes, chopped (or a jar of passata)
- 2 cloves garlic
- a handful of basil leaves
- 200 g mozzarella, torn and drained
- 60 g Pecorino or Parmesan, grated
- black pepper
Preparation
- Salt the aubergine slices and leave them in a colander 45–60 minutes. Press them dry with a cloth.
- Meanwhile, make a quick sauce: cook the garlic in a little olive oil, add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and simmer 15–20 minutes until thickened. Tear in some basil.
- Fry the aubergine slices in olive oil until golden on both sides, and drain on paper.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a baking dish, layer sauce, aubergine, mozzarella, Pecorino, and basil, repeating until the dish is full and finishing with sauce and cheese.
- Bake 30–35 minutes until bubbling and browned on top. Let it rest at least 20 minutes before cutting — it holds together much better, and it’s excellent at room temperature the next day.