I’ve always thought of the aubergine as a Mediterranean vegetable, entwined in the climate and cuisine of warmer shores. As a result I haven’t cooked aubergines half as much as I’d perhaps like to. Happily, there are now quite a few local growers in Devon, where I live, producing wonderful aubergines grown in tunnels and glasshouses, so recently I’ve been making more of a meal of them. In this particular recipe, my riff on a baba ganoush, I roast the aubergines whole in a hot oven until the flesh is so tender you can scoop it out with a spoon.
Serves 4-6
aubergines 4
red onion 1, thinly sliced
pumpkin seeds 4 tbsp
red chilli 1, deseeded and thinly sliced
cumin seeds 1 tsp, coarsely crushed
extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp, plus extra for trickling
tahini 2 tbsp
garlic 1 small clove, crushed
basil 1 handful, leaves picked and thinly ribboned, plus a few left whole
mint 1 small handful, leaves picked and thinly ribboned, plus a few left whole
lemon juice of ½
sourdough bread 8 slices
flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6.
Prick the aubergines a few times with a fork, place them on a baking tray and pop them in the oven. Cook for 40-50 minutes, until they have all but collapsed.
Meanwhile, place the onion, pumpkin seeds, chilli and cumin seeds in a dish along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. Muddle everything together and bake, stirring from time to time, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft, the seeds are crunchy and everything smells amazing. Set aside, if necessary, while the aubergines finish cooking.
Allow the baked aubergines to cool for 15 minutes, then scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Add the tahini, garlic, ribboned basil and mint, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Heat a ridged grill pan over a high heat. Toast the bread on both sides until it’s striped with char marks. Halve the toasts, trickle them with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Pile the aubergine mixture on to the toasts, sprinkle over the onion and seed mixture, and top with a scattering of the whole basil and mint leaves, a little more flaky salt, a twist of pepper and a good trickle of olive oil.
From Root, Stem, Leaf, Flower by Gill Meller (Quadrille, £27). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com
