Eggplant in vinegar with garlic, parsley and olive oil

These are the eggplants that I ate for the first time about 10 years ago while leaving in picturesque Andalusian village called Laujar de Andarax. I lived there with Spanish family, owners of quite small but cosy hotel and restaurant, which serves delicious traditional dishes. It was my first contact with a truly Spanish family, with Spanish cuisine and with Spanish language in situ. One of my favourite dishes there were berenjenas mediterráneas - Mediterranean eggplants - cooked in water with wine vinegar, then drizzled abundantly with olive oil and sprinkled with finely chopped garlic and parsley. Eggplant prepared in this way can be eaten alone or can be put on a slice of toast or fresh bread and drizzled additionally with high quality olive oil.

Ingredients:

2 eggplants

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

salt

olive oil

optional:

smoked paprika powder (mild or hot)

powdered cumin

Method:

Wash the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise. In a saucepan, boil plenty of water with the vinegar. Add the eggplants and cook until soft. Drain well removing excessive water and then cut them into thin slices. Season with salt and sprinkle with chopped parsley and garlic. Then drizzle abundantly with good quality olive oil and optionally sprinkle with powdered smoked paprika and/or with cumin. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic or glass container or a jar, bearing in mind that the eggplants should be completely submerged in oil, otherwise they may spoil rapidly.

Enjoy !!!