Lamb with Aubergines - Arni me Melitzanes

Ingredients:
12 large, ripe, slim aubergines, salt, 3 - 4 kilos of lamb (leg, shoulder, back, fatty pieces from the breast and belly), 200 ml olive oil, 1kg fresh tomatoes or 5 small tins of tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, half a stick of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, 1 dessertsp. sugar, freshly ground pepper, 1 large onion, a bunch of flat parsley

Method:
Cut aubergines into slices 4cm thick. Put them into lightly salted water for 30 mins, making sure they are all under water.

Cut the lamb into largish pieces, fry quickly in one or two pans using half the oil. Peel the tomatoes, purée them with the garlic cloves in a mixer. Add crumbled cinnamon stick, crushed cloves, oregano, sugar, pepper and salt to taste. Peel and cut the onion in slices. Fry gently in 1 dessertsp. oil until soft. Chop parsley fine. Put the meat and sauce in a dish, sprinkle with parsley, cover, bake at 180C (170C for fan oven) for about 45 mins until the meat is tender.

Drain the aubergine slices, pressing out all of the water. Fry in olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper. Take the meat from the pot, keep warm in the oven at (50C - not fan oven)
Warm the aubergine slices in the tomato sauce over a medium heat with the lid on for no longer than 5 mins. Season to taste if necessary, and serve with the meat, together with white bread or potatoes.
Red wine to drink.