Recipe: Pork Stew with Eggplant

PORK STEW WITH EGGPLANT

2 1/2 pound pork roast, boneless and tied
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup peanut oil or other vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup water
2 pounds eggplant, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Dust the pork roast with the flour. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole or saucepan. Add the pork and brown evenly.

Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and water. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is tender.

Add the cubed eggplant, cover, and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft.

Slice the pork and serve on a heated platter with the eggplant.

Note from source: In English-speaking countries the French aubergines are called garden eggs, eggplants, or melongenes. In the Spanish-speaking islands, the eggplant is known as berenjena. In the French islands, where this recipe originated, this dish might be called Daube de Porc aux Aubergines or Belangere, which usually refers to a larger variety of eggplant. Whatever the name, the pork is certainly enhanced by the dark-skinned, meaty-tasting vegetable.

Servings: 6
Source: Island Cooking: Recipes from the Caribbean by Dunstan A. Harris