The aubergine fruit; deep purple, almost black outside; egg-shaped, size from that of a pint cup to three times that bulk; plentiful and cheap in the markets; most at home in the South.

Egg Plant A La Turque

Mussaka, I learned, otherwise Imam-Buthii(which in English means "the High-Priest's Tuck-in",) was the name of it, and the manner of its preparation the following: Cut up an egg plant (aubergine) into slices, salt them, strain them for a few minutes, dry them well in cloth, then fry them in butter till they are of a rich brown color. Now chop up some beef very fine, and mince it carefully with some parsley, a suggestion of onion, pepper and salt, butter, and a few fresh tomatoes thinly sliced, and stew these things together until the meat is browned. Next, arrange in a pie-dish or mould, layers of egg plant, and layers of the stew. Pour a little broth or gravy into the mould, and bake in the oven for about thirty five minutes. Turn the whole carefully out on to a dish, or, better still, serve in the pie-dish.

Broiled Egg Plant

Small ones split in halves lengthwise, not pared, seasoned with salt, pepper, oil, broiled; served the white side up; butter sauce.

Aubergine A La Provencale

Broiled, with anchovies, fried onions and garlic in tomato sauce.

Aubergine Farcies A L'Italienne

Halves, not peeled, fried, inside partly taken out and mixed with chopp'ed shallots, mushrooms, fat pork, parsley, etc., put back, crumbs on top; baked.

Egg Plant In Batter

Pared, sliced, dropped for a minute or two in boiling salted water, or else steeped an hour in cold salted water to extract the raw taste, dried, dipped in batter, fried like a fritter, sprinkled with salt, served as a vegetable with meat.

Fried Egg Plant

Sliced, blanched or steeped, dried, egged, rolled in cracker crumbs, fried, sprinkled with salt. In France the aubergine or egg plant is eaten in soups and stews.