The Amazing Aubergine

The Americans say "eggplant",  in South Africa and India it's a "brinjal", and the Brits speak of an "aubergine". Call it what you may, there is no other vegetable quite like it.

In fact, the aubergine is strictly not even a vegetable; it is actually classified as a berry and is also very closely related to the tobacco plant. It has the highest concentration of nicotine out of all edible plants (although the actual amount is negligible - 9kg of aubergines contains as much nicotine as one cigarette). Nevertheless, if you are trying to quite smoking, you now have a very good reason to go forth and consume copious amounts of aubergine!

Although it was originally cultivated in India, the aubergine has become an integral ingredient in traditional cooking styles all over the world. The Greeks use it in Moussaka, the French for Ratatouille, the Italians in Parmigiana de Melanzane, and not to mention the myriad ways it is used in Middle Eastern dishes and Asian curries.

Thanks to its versatility, the aubergine lends itself to countless cooking techniques - you can char-grill it, roast it, sear it, bake it, fry it, batter it, stuff it, smoke it...the possibilities are endless.

There are also many ways to describe the texture of an aubergine - succulent, tender, fleshy, juicy - not unlike the words that meat-eaters might use to describe a steak. Which inspired me to create a recipe for an "aubergine steak" that is sure to be a winner veggie dish for meat lovers.

Succulent and Tender: Aubergine Steak

Aubergine Steak with Roasted Red Peppers & Coriander, Mint & Chilli Pesto

 Topped with Grilled Buffalo Mozzarella and Scattered with Chickpeas

Serves 2 as a starter or 1 as a main course

Ingredients

1 Red Pepper

2 cloves Garlic 

1 Aubergine 

Pinch of Coarse Sea Salt (smoked, if you have it)

1 tsp Ras-el-hanout (Moroccan spice blend)

50g Buffalo Mozzarella, sliced

A handful of fresh Coriander

A handful of fresh Mint

1 small green Chilli

200g canned Chickpeas

Olive Oil

Aubergine Steak with Roasted Peppers & Coriander, Mint & Chilli Pesto

• Preheat the oven to 180C
• Roast the garlic cloves and whole red pepper  in the oven - you will know it is done when the skin is starting to blister and blacken
• In the meantime, slice the aubergine into "fillets" about 2.5cm thick
• Score the flesh of the aubergine slices on either side and brush each side with a little bit of olive oil
• Rub each side of the oiled aubergine slices with a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of ras-el-hanout
• Make the pesto by blending the herbs together with the chilli, some olive oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside for later. 
• Remove the red pepper and garlic cloves from the oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes
• When cool enough to handle, gently peel the skin of the pepper. It should come away easily.
• Now cut the pepper in half and flatten it on a chopping board. 
• Remove the seeds, and slice the red pepper (thin or fat, however you like it).
• Fry the aubergine slices in some olive oil in a griddle pan on a low-to-medium heat. The flesh must be cooked through, and only slightly charred on the outsides.
• Peel the roasted garlic and bash it with the flat side of a knife or a pestle.
• Rub the garlic on the sides of the grilled aubergine steaks.
• Now assemble the aubergine steaks and roasted peppers on a baking tray - first one slice of aubergine, then some of the red pepper, and the next slice, etc. The top layer must be an aubergine slice.
• Place the mozzarella slices on top of the aubergine steak steak and place the stack under the grill for about 5 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt. 
• Remove the aubergine steaks stacks from the grill. 
• Place the aubergine & red pepper stacks on a plate, scatter the chickpeas around the stack and spoon some of the pesto on top.