Badendjal

Description

Algerian Eggplant

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplant sliced into ½" rounds
• salt
• olive oil

Garlic confit

• 24 (approximately) cloves of garlic

Directions

1. If your eggplant is not so good you might have to salt it for 30 minutes or so to release the bitter juices.
2. Rinse, drain and pat dry.
3. When choosing eggplants look for smooth skin and firmness. The one's that sound a bit hollow are not so good to use.
4. Cook the eggplant in a pan with about ½" of olive oil, over medium/low heat, add more olive oil as the eggplant slices absorb the oil for about 15–20 minutes total, turn midway through cooking. Do not crowd the pan. You will have to do this in batches. The eggplant should have a golden color and be very tender.
5. Mash with a fork, taste for salt, adjust.
6. Plate the eggplant and stud with the garlic confit. You can use the oil for vinaigrettes or to dip bread into or pour it over the eggplant.

Garlic confit

1. Put the garlic in a small pot, cover with olive oil and cook on very low heat until it develops the color shown.
2. You may have to turn off the heat occasionally if the oil gets too hot.
3. Another option is to roast in an oven with something else.
4. I think it's nonsense to turn on an oven just for 24 cloves of garlic.