in season
Aubergines
I’m sure for most of us the image of an
aubergine is a shiny oblong fruit with a dark
purple colour. There are however many
other varieties such as the pea aubergine,
popular in many Thai curries. It is often
thought of as an exotic ingredient but from
June to the middle of October they are
widely cultivated in Britain. When buying
look for unblemished, firm skin and a
bright green stem. They store best in the
fridge for up to a week. Although they are
most commonly used in warming stews,
bakes and curries they are also fantastic
grilled. Just slice them into thick slices and
cover them with salt on both sides for
20 minutes, brush with oil and grill them on
the barbie or in a hot grill pan and add to a
simple summery salad.
AUBERGINE, MUSHROOM AND PARMESAN GRATIN
Serves 3
- Slice 3 aubergines in 2cm thick rings and lightly salt on both sides, allow the salt to extract the water from the vegetable for twenty minutes.
- Meanwhile peel and finely chop 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic, cook in olive oil without colouring, add in 1Ib of chopped button mushrooms and cook until dry.
- Place the mushrooms into a food processor with a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg and 1oz of freshly chopped parsley and blend to a rough paste.
- Transfer to a bowl and season.
- Pat dry the aubergines and grill on both sides with a generous splash of olive oil.
- Split the mushroom paste between the aubergines, spreading with the back of a spoon and then sprinkle with parmesan and breadcrumbs.
- Grill on a low heat until golden brown and serve with dressed salad leaves.
