The EGGPLANTS IN SAOR are a traditional dish of Venetian cuisine, a variation of the better-known “sardines in saor“. This recipe uses eggplants instead of sardines but keeps the same preparation method that combines sweet-and-sour flavors.
Easy to make, fresh and tasty, these eggplants are the perfect appetizer to serve at a summer lunch or dinner, especially if you have vegetarian or vegan guests at your table.
Everyone will be impressed by this dish, which is an example of peasant ingenuity in cooking, able to enhance simple ingredients through preservation and preparation techniques that bring out their flavors.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants (oval, black) (medium)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (for frying the eggplants)
- 3 white onions (large)
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar (heaping)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- to taste pine nuts
- black peppercorns
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Container
- Paper towels
Steps
The preparation of EGGPLANTS IN SAOR is quick and within everyone’s reach.
Wash and dry the eggplants. Cut them into slices about 3/8 inch thick and then cut those into sticks. I didn’t do this, but if you want you can also dust the eggplant sticks with flour.
Fry them in hot oil until golden. Drain them, place them on paper towels and season lightly with salt.
Trim the onions and cut them into not-too-thin slices. In a saucepan add a drizzle of oil and gently sweat the onions for 10 minutes. Be careful, they should not brown.
Soak the raisins for 10 minutes. Squeeze them well and add them to the onions with the vinegar, sugar and a few whole black peppercorns. Let the vinegar evaporate, season lightly with salt, stir, cover with the lid and let cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the onions are soft.
With the heat turned off, add the pine nuts.
In a container, make a layer of eggplants and cover with a layer of onions. Repeat until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of onions.
Cover with the lid, let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
I recommend letting the eggplants in saor rest for at least one day before eating them.
STORAGE
Eggplants in saor keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. However, make sure that all the eggplants are well covered by the saor sauce to ensure optimal preservation.
