Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (150 page)

Pistouille

[Sautéed Eggplant with Tomatoes, Peppers, Garlic, and Basil]

Pistou
, a Provençal purée of fresh garlic and basil, is stirred into sautéed eggplant that has simmered with tomatoes, peppers, and onions, making a dish reminiscent of that famous Mediterranean medley,
ratatouille
, but much easier to produce. Good hot or cold,
pistouille
can be served with broiled fish, broiled chicken, roasts, steaks, chops, cold roast pork, veal, or lamb, and any leftovers can stuff eggs, tomatoes, or other vegetables.

NOTE
: This dish is naturally at its best when fresh basil and local tomatoes are in season. Out of season, use fresh tomatoes plus a tablespoon or so of canned tomato sauce or purée, and if you cannot find fragrant-smelling dried basil, use oregano.

For 4 to 6 people

Ingredients for salting and sautéing 2 lbs. eggplant, as in the
Master Recipe, Steps 1 and 2

Peel, salt, drain, dry, and then sauté the eggplant in oil until lightly browned as described in the Master Recipe.

The onion, pepper, and tomato garnish

⅔ cup minced onions

⅔ cup diced green bell peppers

2 Tb olive oil

2 cups fresh tomato pulp (2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped)

A 2½-quart saucepan or another frying pan

While the eggplant is macerating in salt, cook the onions and peppers in oil in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender and translucent but not brown. Add the tomato pulp, cover pan, and simmer 5 minutes to render its juice; uncover pan and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes or more until juices have almost entirely evaporated. Set aside.

When eggplant has been sautéed and drained, return it to the frying pan with the tomato mixture and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to blend flavors and evaporate more liquid. Mixture should form a thick mass.

The pistou

2 large cloves of garlic

A garlic press

12 to 14 large, fresh basil leaves, minced (or about ½ Tb fragrant dried basil or oregano)

A small bowl and a pestle, or small wooden spoon

Purée garlic through press, then mash with the basil or oregano in the bowl to make a smooth paste; fold into the hot eggplant.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: May be completed to this point. Set aside.

3 Tb fresh minced parsley

Reheat just before serving, correct seasoning, and fold in the parsley.

To serve cold

2 to 3 tomatoes

Salt and pepper

3 Tb fresh minced parsley

½ Tb olive oil

Whether the eggplant is cooked and cooled or left over, a little ripe tomato will freshen the taste. Peel, seed, and juice the tomatoes; dice the pulp. Place in a bowl and fold with the seasonings, parsley, and oil. Let stand 10 minutes, drain, and fold into the eggplant.

VARIATION

Aubergines en Pistouille, Froides

[Cold Eggplant
à la Grecque
with Tomatoes and Basil]

Much the same as cold
pistouille,
but with a more piquant flavor, is 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’oeuvre with sardines, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, olives, or other Provençal trimmings.

For the court bouillon

3 cups water in a 3-quart stainless saucepan

1½ Tb lemon juice

3 Tb olive oil

1½ tsp salt

6 coriander seeds

¼ tsp thyme

1 imported bay leaf

2 large cloves mashed garlic

2 lbs. firm, fresh, shiny eggplant

A colander set over a bowl

Olive oil

A heavy no-stick frying pan (10 to 12 inches in diameter if possible)

A serving dish

Combine the
court bouillon
ingredients in the saucepan and simmer at least 5 minutes, or while you are preparing the eggplant. Peel eggplant and cut into ¾-inch cubes. Place half (4 cups) in the simmering
court bouillon
, bring to the boil, and simmer 5 minutes. Drain into bowl, return
court bouillon
to pan, and simmer the rest of the eggplant. Drain, return
court bouillon
again to pan, boil down rapidly to 1 cup, and reserve. Meanwhile, pour a
¹
⁄
₁₆
-inch layer of oil into frying pan and sauté 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 sauté for several minutes, until eggplant is tender but not browned. Turn into serving dish, leaving oil in pan.