Grilled chopped aubergine salad
LEVEL: Advanced
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4-6vegetable oil, for rubbing
3 large aubergines
½ red and ½ green pepper, deseeded and
finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed small handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp salt handful of pomegranate seeds, to serve
METHOD
This recipe is a halfway house between a chopped salad and a dip. It’s a bit unusual in that the only ingredient that’s cooked is the aubergine.
In the restaurants, we lay it on the charcoal grill and keep turning it until it’s cooked all the way through, which infuses it with a wonderfully rich, smoky flavour, but at home you can do this under a very hot grill or on a barbecue. The important part is that the skin becomes blackened and blistered so that the flesh inside is completely cooked and the bitter-tasting juices that come out of the aubergines are drained away, otherwise the salad will be soggy.
Heat the grill until it’s hot. Rub a little oil all over each aubergine, then place them on a baking sheet and grill until blackened and blistered. Cool a little, then peel away and discard the skins. Put the flesh in a colander over a bowl to drain away the juices.
Place the aubergine flesh on a board and chop finely. Put in a large bowl and add the chopped peppers, spring onions, tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Stir everything together to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly dispersed.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and salt. and stir everything again. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with the pomegranate seeds.
