Baked Eggplant
Introduction
Eggplants are well-priced at the moment. Here’s an easy way to cook them – no faffing around with frying – and they can be served as is, with Middle Eastern dishes, with roast lamb, with pasta, or on top of pizza.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants
4 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1½ tsp flaky sea salt (or half the amount of table salt)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Thin yoghurt and pomegranate to finish (optional)
Method
1 Preheat an oven to 210°C (410°F), placing a rack just below the top third. Cut the eggplants into thick rounds, then into large cubes. Line a shallow oven dish with baking (parchment) paper – a Swiss roll tin is ideal. Transfer the eggplant cubes to the tin. Drizzle with the oil and season with salt, the chilli flakes and crushed coriander seeds. Tilt the edges of the paper to move the eggplant cubes around so they are evenly coated with oil and seasonings.
2 Roast the eggplant cubes for about 40 minutes, turning them every 15 minutes to ensure even browning. When golden and tender, remove from the oven and grate the lemon zest over the top.
3 Serve hot, or at room temperature, or drizzle with thin yoghurt and pomegranate molasses.
