Melanzane alla parmigiana (aubergine parmigiana)

Or how to spend an entire day cooking something nobody but you will eat.

Grandad B produced some truly gorgeous little auberginies that I thought deserved to be appreciated, and as he delivered them with another batch of deliciously red tomatoes, the aubergine parmigiana recipe from Jamie's Italy seemed the best way to enjoy them.

The sauce called for a chopped onion, which made my eyes water ridiculously. I should have taken it as a sign to stop, rather than persevered with peeling, deseeding and chopping tomatoes.

First you plunge your tomato into boiling water.

Then into iced water .
Then you cut it in two, peel off the skin, squeeze out the seed, and chop the slippery sucker.
Toss it into the pot with the onions, garlic and oregano. The recipe called for dried oregano but I only had fresh.
Then the fun bit. Jamie helpfully comments that "you can leave the sauce chunky or you can puree it". I, of course, attempted to use the blender. Will I ever learn?


By the time I'd grilled the aubergine, grated the cheese and shredded the breadcrumbs I'd decided this was more trouble than I'd bargained for - particularly with a 3yo helper and a velcro baby!

Pre-assembly, featuring sauce blended with the stick blender, finally chopped spelt bread crumbs, grated parmesan and grilled aubergine:

It looked quite nice and I was feeling hopeful, until dh informed me over our lunch together that he was absolutely positively not interested in eating aubergine parmigiana EVEN if Ginger Rose had picked the oregano with her own fair hands and I'd used every pot and pan in the kitchen.


Fortunately, there was enough parmigiana sauce and grated parmesan for me to tip over some chicken fillets I dredged in seasoned polenta and baked.

Looks just like the picture, doesn't it?