Italian Pickled Eggplant

Wash and dry the eggplant. Cut into quarter-inch thick slices and put the slices in a colander. Sprinkle them evenly with coarse salt, then weight the slices down with a plate and a heavy can of tomatoes. Let sit for an hour, then brush off the salt and dry the eggplant slices on a clean dish towel.

Put the water and vinegar in a medium pot over high heat. When the water is boiling, slip the eggplant slices into the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the eggplant slices and let them dry overnight on a clean dish towel.

The next day, have a clean glass jar ready. Slice the garlic very thinly. Break the bay leaves into small pieces and mince the rosemary. Crumble the dried chiles. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the glass jar. Distribute a few slices of garlic, a few pieces of bay, some minced rosemary and a few bits of chile over the layer of eggplant. Cover with another layer of eggplant and the various seasonings. Continue until all the ingredients are used up. Using a spoon, gently tamp down the eggplant and seasonings. Then pour olive oil into the jar slowly, tamping down every now and again, until the eggplant is fully covered by olive oil and there are no air pockets in the jar. Close the jar and put in a cool, dark place for one month before using.