Eggplant Stewed with Olive Oil

Eggplant Stewed with Olive Oil,
Garlic, and Oregano

Makes 4 servings

Pressure stewing eggplant allows it to soften and cook through with very little oil. Use the stew as a warm side dish with grilled leg of lamb or roast chicken. Or serve it as a separate salad on a bed of butter lettuce leaves, garnished with black olives and accompanied with thin baguette toasts. Or fill pita pockets with the eggplant stew and sliced tomatoes and top with crumbled Feta cheese. Asian eggplants, sliced one half inch thick, or tiny boutique eggplants, quartered, work as well as regular globe eggplants.

2 medium-size eggplants (about 2 pounds),
cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, halved
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, for garnish

1. Toss together the eggplant and salt in a medium-size bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Stir in the eggplant. garlic, oregano, pepper, wine, and water. Lock on the lid and bring to pressure over high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes to finish cooking.

3. With the steam vent pointed away from your face, gently release any remaining pressure. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and sprinkle the zest over the top. Serve right away or cool and store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days and serve cold.

Buy the Book!

from:
The Pressure Cooker Gourmet
225 Recipes for Great-Tasting, Long-Simmered Flavors in Just Minutes
by Victoria Wise
The Harvard Common Press
368 pages
Price: $24.95 cloth
ISBN: 1-55832-200-0
Recipe reprinted by permission.