Here's a NEW recipe for aubergines

This simple recipe reproduces the sumptuous taste of Baba Ganoush, a middle Eastern favourite using smoked aubergine (eggplant)

I like to serve this with Lebanese bread, but even dry toast is enhanced by its wonderful flavour.

The aubergines are first roasted on an open flame (gas or barbecue, or even your fireplace!), then peeled carefully and mashed with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, tahini and chickpeas.

Ingredients

2 or 3 aubergines

At least ten cloves of garlic (a whole head wouldn't go amiss) - you can use garlic in a bottle or tube, if you are feeling lazy

A jar of tahini

Juice from half a lemon

Half a bottle of olive oil

A tin of chickpeas (garbanzos), or dried ones soaked for at least 12 hours

Preparation

Sticking a fork into a firm bit, roast each aubergine slowly and thoroughly in a flame until the skin becomes black and loose. If you have only an electric range, heat the oven up to Gas mark 9 and leave the aubergines on the top shelf until they become black, turning every 3 or 4 minutes. Leave them to cool then wash under a tap and gently pull and scrape off the black skin with your fingers or a spoon. Take care to remove all the black bits. The consistency should be soft and not too stringy. Collect the pulp in a bowl. Have a drink or two and wash your hands.

Final combination

Mash the garlic using whatever method you favour - probably a crusher, and also mash the chickpeas using a blender or pestle and mortar, adding olive oil as you go along. Then mix everything together in a big bowl, adding lemon juice, tahini and olive oil while stirring all the time. You ideally need three hands, but perhaps a passing bystander can help! The consistency of the mush should not be thin, but a fork should not quite stand up in it either! This is a sort of soft hoummous. In fact you can make hoummous just by leaving out the aubergine! Serve to your friends who will think you bought it from the local Lebanese restaurant!

Previous recipe

If you have any recipes or just cooking tips which you would like to share, please E-mail them to me and I'll try to fit them in the next update.

There WILL be a new recipe or so soon - just testing out a few. Keep cooking!

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