Aubergine and Tomato Bake

I had a dish in a Ticinesi Grotto the other day, layered aubergines and tomatoes, an ideal summer lunch, light and lukewarm. They did it in a pizza oven, which I don’t have, but this is how I tried to recreate it at home. The pictures show the aubergines done in a frying pan; the other day I tried it again and did it under the grill. Both methods work but I marginally prefer the second one. 

 

 

What you need

• 2 – 3 largish aubergines (for a main dish for three to four people; mine was made as a side dish, hence the smaller amounts in the pictures)
• 5-6 tomatoes
• olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
• salt, pepper
• Berbere (Ethiopian spice mix, optional)
• Herbs (lovage, basil, Thai basil, oregano, thyme, sage) chopped
• shavings of parmesan or pecorino romano

What you do

1. Slice the aubergine lengthwise, season with salt and pepper (and Berbere); leave to sit for about 5 to ten minutes as some of the juice of the aubergines will drain off this way.
2. Drizzle generously with olive oil and in a single layer roast in a baking tin or fry in a frying pan until they take on a lightly brownish colour.
3. In the meantime dip the tomatoes into boiling water until the skin splits, then skin and slice (or dice).
4. Coat an ovenproof dish with olive oil, layer it with aubergine slices, then add a layer of tomatoes, with a portion of the garlic and herbs.
5. Add further layers and make sure you end up with aubergines on the top.
6. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the aubergines are quite soft.
7. Cover with the shavings of the parmesan.

This dish can be done in advance and tastes nice hot, lukewarm or cold with some freshly baked baguette.

Salmon Fillet Strips on a Vegetable Bed

This dish resulted from two seasonal occurrences: the appearance of fresh vegetables, carrots, fennel and spring onions in the market, and the fact that our somewhat decrepit freezer needs defrosting when the weather gets warmer; our kind neighbours offer its contents temporary asylum, alas not spatially limitless, which is why we decided to dispose of the frozen salmon fillets…

This dish is quite nice as a starch-free meal, but it works well with basmati rice.

What you need

• 400-500 g salmon fillet (without skin), cut into strips
• salt, pepper, Cajun spice mix, fresh herbs (tarragon and dill taste very pleasant, if you like it a bit less subtle, try lovage and coriander)
• 2-3 spring onions, thinly sliced (about 2mm)
• 1 leek, sliced without tough green leaves 
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 medium sized carrots thinly sliced
• 1 small fennel, cut three times lengthwise and then thinly sliced, with the greens
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 2 tblsp fish stock powder or vegetable stock
• 80 ml dry sherry

What you do

1. Season the salmon and sprinkle with the herbs. Ensure that the grill or salamander is hot.
2. In an ovenproof cast-iron pan, heat the oil and sauté the spring onions and the garlic (ideally to a crispy consistency.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables, and sauté without letting them colour. They should still have plenty of bite.
4. Sprinkle with stock powder and drizzle the sherry over the mixture.
5. Lay the salmon strips on top of the vegetables so they are heated from below. When you watch them you will see how the colour of the cooked salmon, a turn lighter pink slowly rises. When they are done about half-way up, put the dish under the grill, keeping an eye on it not getting too dark (this should take about 5 minutes tops). This ensures that the salmon is hot but still juicy on the inside.
6. Season the vegetable bed to taste and add perhaps a bit more sherry or water if it looks too try.
7. Serve immediately (as the salmon cools down fast) perhaps with a squirt of crema di balsamico on the plate or over the fish.