- 1 1/2 pounds small purple Italian or white eggplants, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 5 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant, then drain, pressing gently on eggplant to extract any excess liquid. Pat dry.
- Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic and mint.
- Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant, about 8 slices at a time, until cooked through and pale golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer eggplant as fried to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a large shallow dish, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon some of vinegar mint mixture over each batch. Marinate eggplant, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.