Ingredients for 8 people:4 long aubergines350 g “friggitelli” peppers (sweet green peppers)350 g cherry tomatoes200 g coarsely grated pecorino cheese1 untreated lemon10 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 frond wild fennel1 tbsp fennel seeds3 cloves of garlic salt pepper
Wash the aubergines, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with the help of the tip of a knife. Put the emptied aubergines and their flesh in water and lemon juice, to avoid them turning brown. Then dry the aubergine flesh with kitchen paper and dice it. Wash the tomatoes and friggitelli peppers (remove the seeds and inner filaments from the latter) and cut both into pieces. Brown a clove of garlic “in camicia” (that’s to say with its skin on and just slightly squashed under the palm of your hand) in 6 spoonfuls of olive oil, then remove the garlic and tip in the chopped vegetables. Sauté over a lively heat for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the fennel seeds and continue cooking over a moderate heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the wild fennel, ripped up by hand, over the vegetables. Take the aubergine halves out of the water, let it drip off and then dry them. Sprinkle the inside with salt and fill them with the vegetables. Grease a baking pan with 2 spoonfuls of olive oil, arrange the filled aubergines in it and drizzle the remaining oil over them. Cover with kitchen foil and cook in a preheated oven, at 180 °C, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the grated pecorino over the aubergines and put them back in the oven, at 250 °C, for roughly 5 minutes; take the “boats” out of the oven when an appetizing crust has formed on the surface. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes and then serve.