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Dorset
 P
L E N T Y 
The Vital Ingredi ent
Au ergine
Eaten hot in Mediterranean stews or cold in a mezze platter, aubergines are
the perfect summer ingredient for our unpredictable weather
M
8
idsummer is a time to celebrate the best of British produce
as (hopefully) the sun shines – succulent strawberries with
lashings of cream, slender stems of asparagus doused with
hollandaise, and brinjal bhaji mopped up with chapatis. Yes,
June heralds the beginning of the season of the aubergine, which, thanks
to new cultivars, can now be grown successfully in the UK. Indeed, the
aubergines used in this month’s recipe were all the way from Essex.
Aubergines were first recorded in China and spread throughout
southern Europe in the Middle Ages, but they only really became
popular in Britain in the 1960s, so it’s no surprise that there aren’t
any classic British dishes featuring the purple berry (like the tomato,
aubergine is a fruit with an identity crisis).
Many Mediterranean countries have their own signature dish –
Lebanon is famous for its smoky, pulpy baba ganoush dip; the melting
mess of aubergines, mozzarella and tomatoes that’s melanzane alla
parmigiana is a classic Sicilian dish; as is caponata, a stew made
with tomatoes, olives and capers. Remove the capers and olives,
add courgettes and peppers and you have a French ratatouille, while
moussaka is like Greece’s own version of lasagne, but with aubergines
replacing the pasta and lamb mince instead of beef.
Then there’s imam bayildi, a stuffed aubergine dish named after a
Turkish priest who is said to have fainted after his wife used up loads of
olive oil when making it. It’s easily done – aubergines are like sponges,
drinking in the oil as they cook, which is why frying them can be a bit
tricksy. If you have time and can be bothered, you can salt aubergines
to draw the moisture out (this technique used to reduce the bitterness
of older varieties), but it’s not really necessary. As long as you cut the
aubergine into thin strips, you can fry them until they’re golden before
adding them to a tomato sauce for pasta alla norma. You can also grill
slices, but arguably the best way to cook aubergine is to roast it until the
skin is wrinkled, before scooping out the soft, rich insides.
Aubergine is known as poor man’s meat, and while it can be used as a
replacement for beef in a chilli, we prefer the Indian term for it: the king
of vegetables… Even though it’s not a vegetable.
Be Rude Not To
Make the most of this seasonal veg while you can
Aubergines are layered
with lamb mince
and topped with a
cheese sauce in a classic
Greek moussaka
Cook the aubergines on a
barbecue or over an open
flame to get the smoky
flavour you need for
baba ganoush.
Traditionally, Imam bayildi
is made with fresh tomatoes,
but as our tomatoes aren’t
ripe enough right now, it’s
best to use tinned.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
Imam Bayildi
(Serves 4 as a light lunch)
Ingredients
2 aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, roughly diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 cinnamon stick
1 tin of plum tomatoes
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
Turkish yoghurt (optional)
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°c. Cut the aubergines
in half lengthways and score them deeply in a criss-
cross pattern, being careful not to cut through the
skin. Place the aubergines on a baking tray, brush
the flesh generously with olive oil and cook in the
oven for 25 minutes or until you can easily scoop
the flesh out.
2. Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a
saucepan and gently fry the onions for five minutes,
add the pepper and continue cooking for another
five minutes. Next, add the garlic and cook for a
further minute, then stir in the spices for a couple
more minutes. Finally, add the plum tomatoes,
breaking them up with your spoon as you stir them
in. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. When the aubergines are done and are cool
enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and add to
the tomato sauce with the parsley. Season with salt
and pepper
4. Spoon the sauce into the aubergine halves and
bake in the oven for 30 minutes. You can serve it
warm with bread and salad, but it’s arguably even
better at room temperature with a dollop of Turkish
yoghurt.