Melanzane M'Buttanate (Stuffed Cilento Aubergines)

"Melanzane M'buttanate" Cilento Stuffed Aubergines

Halfway through our trip round the lower Cilento region, we were invited to lunch at the home of Rafaello, owner of a working farm guesthouse at the foot of Mount Bulgheria and over-looked by the ghostly hill village of San Severino. We pulled up in the driveway of a large farmhouse complete with vegetable patch, stables, and billy goats bleeting in a field. In the open porch under a brilliant sun, a smiling old lady in apron and slippers stood, in front of an open brasier with a cooking pot hanging over a roaring wood fire. This was Rafaello's mother, and as a means of sharing some traditional recipes of the region with us she'd lit the fire in the outdoor kitchen and laid a large oak table with traditional cooking utensils for us to play with. This is how I'd really like to cook everyday!

On a large wooden platter were heaps of sliced aubergines and a pot filled with stuffing mix. We were to make Melanzane M'buttanate, a simple peasant dish packed with the rich flavours of creamy goat's cheese and fresh parsley.

To make enough for 6 people you will need:

5 large, long, dark purple aubergines, cut in 2 cm thick slices.
three large beaten eggs
three heaped tablespoons of fresh goats cheese (Cilento caprino in this case)
lots of fresh chopped parsley
heaped tablespoon of breadcrumbs
pepper

You won't need salt if you are using a salty goat's cheese...

Take each thick slice of aubergine and slice it down the middle again until about a cm before the end. You will be putting the filling between the two flaps of aubergine you've created. Put the aubergine slices to one side. Heat up about an inch of good olive oil in a frying pan until very hot.

While the oil is heating, mix all the other ingredients together to form a thick paste. Take a slice of aubergine and fill it generously with the stuffing paste, continue until all the slices have been stuffed.

You can now fry your aubergine slices in the hot oil, about three minutes on each side, or until golden brun and slightly crispy at the edges. REmove from the oil and put on kitchen towl to absorb excess oil. Serve warm as they are, or stew slowly in fresh tomato passata with some shredded basil...