Aubergines à la Turque

Aubergines à la Turque (double-fried aubergine parcels with a yolk-and-cheese centre) teaches the discipline of a sealed fritter: the filling must be firmer than seems necessary before it ever meets the fat. If the binder slumps on the spoon, the paired slices will part in the oil. Make it dense, press the parcels well, and the second frying gives you a crisp bronze shell around tender aubergine and a savoury cheese heart.

There is no saucier, stockpot, or salamander hidden in this one. The book's kitchen luxury was a fryer already hot, batter waiting at its station, and another pair of hands to assemble during service. Your equivalent is two aubergines, one heavy saucepan, a thermometer, and fifteen quiet minutes in the cold. I have reduced the brigade quantity and translated “smoking oil” into clean oil held at 185°C (365°F), because the intent is an instant crust, not smoke in your kitchen. The waiting trays are scaffolding and can go; the first fry, the firm yolk-and-cheese binding, and the second coat are the dish and must stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.

Make the filling before you mix the batter, then chill every assembled pair until it behaves like one piece. That is the step that decides the dish. If a seam loosens, press it closed with a little more cheese paste and chill it again. Ça se rattrape.