- ¾ cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 eggplant, about 10 oz (300g), cut into 3 in (7.5cm) sticks
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 basil leaves, torn into pieces, plus whole leaves to garnish
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Add the garlic and cook about 3 minutes. Discard the garlic. In batches, add the eggplant to the oil and fry, stirring often, for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Discard all but 2 tbsp of the oil from the pan. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1–2 minutes, until slightly softened. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the eggplant to the bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Add the basil and mix gently. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour to develop the flavors.
- Check the seasoning. Garnish with the basil and serve warm.