When buying aubergine, press lightly with your hands and make sure it is firm and the skin is shiny. If the skin is opaque, wrinkled and the aubergine is slightly spongy to the touch, don’t buy it: it won’t be fresh and will definitely be full of seeds. When cooking it, we suggest you cut it into slices or cubes as required according to the recipe, and then leave it for a few minutes in a colander with a sprinkling of salt. In this way the aubergine will release some of its liquid and lose the bitter taste that would otherwise spoil the dish. If you want to emphasise its sweetness, you can soak it in milk for a few hours, then drain it, pat it fry and prepare it as normal.