Corsican eggplant vegetables

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 eggplant(s)
• 4 beefsteak tomatoes
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves
• 3 sprigs peppermint
• 1 pinch of powdered sugar
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Eggplant as a vegetable, as eaten in Corsica

Halve the eggplants lengthwise, halve each half again, then slice them. Place them on a platter, sprinkle with salt, and let them release their liquid for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the garlic cloves and finely chop the peppermint. Score the tomatoes crosswise, blanch them in boiling water, peel, deseed, and quarter them. When the eggplants have released enough liquid, carefully squeeze the excess liquid and dry it. Sauté the eggplant slices over low heat in 3 tablespoons of hot olive oil. Scatter the garlic and peppermint over them, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Meanwhile, add the tomatoes to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with the powdered sugar. Sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring two or three times. Remove the pan from the heat. When the eggplants have browned but not fallen apart, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon so they can drain well and mix them with the tomatoes. Place the vegetables over low heat for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. We serve this with lamb chops and rice.