Recipe - Melanzane Sottolio

3 pound Japanese eggplant
1 cup Salt
Cheesecloth
4 Bricks, covered in foil
1 bn Mint, leaves removed
4 Cloves garlic, thinly cut or sliced up
1 tablespoon Acacia flowers, dried
2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar, plus 2 T
4 Serrano peppers
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lg Jar with lid

Remove stems and cut eggplants 1/2inch thick lengthwise. Toss in bowl with
salt to coat and place on a roasting rack over roasting pan. Cover with one
layer of cheesecloth and place bricks over. Put in cool place for 12 hours.

Remove from rack and place in large bowl. Add mint, garlic, acacia flowers,
2 tablespoons vinegar and toss to coat thoroughly. Lay eggplant slices in
jar, 1 on top of other until nearly full. Place serranos intermittently
between the layers. Press eggplant down into jar with fingers and add
remaining vinegar. Fill jar with olive oil and cover. Place in
refrigerator. The eggplant are ready to eat but will improve after aging
one week. Top off with oil if the level goes below the top of the eggplant.
Eat at room temperature as antipasto.

Recipe by: Molto Mario MB1D14 Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #603 by Sue
suechef@sover.net on May 09, 1997