Egg-Plant Stuffed with Nuts

A meatless stuffed eggplant from the era when nuts stood in for meat on vegetarian and Lenten tables. The method is sound but the timings and the seasoning both need attention.

• The hinge: don't overboilThe original says only 'boil until tender,' but the shell has to hold the filling, so stop while a skewer still meets slight resistance, perhaps 10-15 minutes for a medium fruit. Boiled fully soft, it collapses when you scoop it and there is no shell left to fill.
• Halving the shellThe original never says how to open the fruit, only 'scoop out' and 'fill shell.' Splitting it lengthwise after boiling is the simplest reading: scoop the flesh leaving a layer attached to the skin, and chop the flesh to fold back into the stuffing.
• Oven temperatureNo heat is given anywhere in the recipe. Around 350F suits this kind of baked stuffing.
• Bake timeAn hour is long for already-cooked flesh and beaten egg in a modern oven, though it may reflect a slower, uncalibrated range. Thirty to thirty-five minutes at 350F sets the egg and browns the top.
• Hickory nutsHickory nuts were gathered wild across much of the eastern United States and are rarely sold now. Pecans are a close relative and the nearest match in flavour; walnuts also work. Toast them briefly before chopping.
• Seasoning and crumbsOne tablespoon of crumbs is a token amount for a cupful of nuts plus the eggplant flesh; expect a loose, custardy filling. Increase to a third of a cup if you want it to slice. Salt generously, since neither nuts nor eggplant carry much on their own.
• BitternessEggplant of this period was often reported as bitter, and many period recipes call for salting or soaking on that account; boiling here more likely just softens the flesh. Most modern cultivars are mild enough that salting is optional.
• YieldOne medium eggplant gives two halves, enough for two as a main course or four as a side. Dot the tops with butter or extra crumbs before baking for colour.