Simple bagatelle
Description
This recipe won't take much time. Let me tell you, using a concrete example, how recipes are usually born in my kitchen. At 2 a.m., when my poor spine finally shifted from sending periodic fatigue signals to emitting a continuous, hysterical scream, I finally got up from the computer and headed to the kitchen. My kitchen is my main relaxation zone. It should be noted that my body has long since reconciled itself to my outrageous lifestyle, so my appetite typically awakens after midnight. And again, the saying "an artist must be hungry" actually applies more to cooks than to painters, writers, or poets. The imagination of a hungry cook—that's the main driving force behind recipe creation... or recipe composition... no, recipe realization. Yes, recipe realization! Like the proverbial cobbler who has no shoes, I opened the fridge and found nothing ready to eat. No problem—I, the ever-cheerful, incorrigible optimist, joker, and prankster, declared—and began inspecting the fridge contents. Here's what I found: 1) Three plump eggplants 2) Five onions 3) A quarter head of cabbage 4) About half a kilo of tomatoes 5) A couple of chicken drumsticks 6) One head of garlic (I used four cloves) 7) Half a bottle of Madeira wine (I used it all, but only half a cup went directly into the dish) 8) Oil, pepper, and other spices—I always have these on hand, as any respectable cook should. Also salt, sugar, and matches. Now you know what I had and how much. Here's what I did with it. I salted and peppered the chicken, generously coated it with crushed garlic, and set it aside. I peeled the eggplants (use a sharp knife—otherwise this harmless task turns into a form of torture), cut them in half lengthwise, then sliced them into half-moons. I placed them in a large bowl and heavily salted them—don't worry about over-salting, it's impossible. I put a frying pan on the heat with a little oil and placed the chicken in it. The chicken needs to fry for exactly the amount of time it takes to chop the onions. Once the onions were sliced, I added them to the chicken. Now, the tomatoes: I peeled them by briefly plunging them into boiling water, then rapidly cooling them. I sliced them into rings, salted them, and added them to the chicken and onions. Now it's time for the cabbage. I shredded it into short strips, lightly salted it, squeezed it gently, and then fried it in a second frying pan. First, without oil over low heat, and once it started giving off that classic fried cabbage aroma, I added oil and simmered it for another 10 minutes. While the cabbage happily fries, it's time to deal with the eggplants. But don't forget to rinse them thoroughly under running water first. I may have expressed that unclearly. I added the rinsed eggplants to the chicken, onion, and tomato mixture. After 15 minutes, I poured 100 grams of wine over the mixture and added the now-ready cabbage. Now's the perfect time to season. I used dried basil, some mummified dill, and parsley. Simmer for another 10–15 minutes, and it's done. One last note: I've described everything exactly as I prepared it, but if I'd had the chance, I definitely would have added some sweet peppers and, at the very end, three tablespoons of sour cream. Serve hot.