Melanzane a Quaglia
Melanzane a Quaglia
Fried whole eggplant
During the nineteenth-century gilded age in Sicily, the gulf between rich and poor was clear in every facet of life, from clothes and housing to transport and cuisine. Peasants made the most of what they had and got creative with ways to mimic aristocratic dining. While nobles would visit private reserves to hunt game birds like quaglie (quail), rural peasants did not have the time, means, or access to such an upper-class pastime. Instead, they made their own cheap version, assigning the name to whole eggplant cut into long segments attached at one end, that separate like a bird spreading its feathers as the eggplant is fried. The same aspirational impulse also drives sarde a beccafico (see page 109), “sardines dressed like songbirds.”
If you want to go for the full-on quaglia experience, serve with a few panelle (see page 39) layered on a vastedda (see page 186).
Ingredients (5)
Ingredients (5)
Instructions
Cut off and discard the eggplant stems, then cut the eggplant into six segments lengthwise starting from the bottom and leaving the top 1 inch attached.
Season the cut flesh liberally with salt and set aside in a colander to drain for an hour.
Meanwhile, fill a medium frying pan or cast-iron skillet with 3 inches of oil and heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375°F. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry.
Fry the eggplant in batches at 350ºF, turning regularly to ensure even browning, until the segments separate naturally and the flesh turns golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve the eggplant warm or at room temperature, garnished with the parsley, on its own or stuffed into a vastedda.
This recipe is part of the Food of the Italian Islands digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
Purchase ($25.00)
