If you want to make aubergines, boil them with salt and water. First, however, one cuts them into three of four parts lengthwise. When it has boiled a lot, take them out; choose those that you find are not as well boiled and press them firmly between two wooden plates. And then take those that are more cooked and, and onion, parsley, mint, and marjoram, and chop it all together on a plate. Put eggs and grated cheese on a plate: then take raisins and cooked garlic. Grind it altogether and mix in good spices. Then stuff each one (of the aubergine slices) with this (mixture). Take an onion, and put it on the bottom of the casserole dish. The head of the aubergine goes at the bottom ant the tail at the top. Take almond milk made with good broth a little oil and little grease, and pour it over top. And it goes in the oven.

Serves 3-4

• 2 big aubergines
• salt
• 2 onion
• 1 cooked garlic
• a handful of chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoon dried mint (or a handful of fresh chopped mint)
• a handful of chopped marjoram
• 2 eggs
• 2 dl grated cheese
• 1 dl raisins
• Spices: 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, (1 teaspoon pepper), ½ teaspoon cloves
• about 1-2 dl thick almond milk made in vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 2 lumps of butter and a little olive oil

1. Put the whole garlic in boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. When it’s cooked, take it away from the water and let it cool.
2. Make the almond milk.
3. Mix together one onion (finely chopped), four cloves of boiled garlic (without the skin), herbs, cheese, eggs, raisins and spices. Grind the stuffing as finely as possible.
4. Cut the aubergine into four parts lengthwise.
5. Boil the aubergine slices quickly in water with salt (don’t over cook the aubergines).
6. When they are cooked remove them from the water and press remaining water away with wooden plates etc. You can remove carefully some aubergine flesh to the stuffing from the middle.
7. If you do, grind the stuffing well together.
8. Put one chopped onion on the bottom of the casserole dish.
9. Stuff the aubergine slices. Roll them and put them to the casserole and pour over the almond milk.
10. Add little olive oil and 2 lumps of butter on the top of the aubergines and put the casserole in the oven (225 °C). The aubergines are ready when the surface is golden brown and it will take about 15-20 minutes.

Source

• The Book of Sent Sovi, Medieval recipes from Catalonia, Santanach-Vogelzang, 2008 (14th century)

Comments: Here are some quotations from the other Sent Sovi recipes about what could be the “good spices” mentioned in the recipe:

Quotation from the recipe called “Half-Roast”: “Set it to boil with good spices: pepper and ginger, cloves, cinnamon..”. Quotation from the recipe called “If you want to make camel sauce”: “ …and cinnamon as large portion, and ginger and other good spices…”

Published 5/2012, Updated 10/2018