[Dawn in the North]

Hi There,

I have grown an enormous aubergine - variety is 'Black Beauty'.  I would like a really fantastic recipe to celebrate how cool it is to have grown this beast - preferably with the aubergine being the main ingrediant.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Regards
Dawn

[agapanthus]

Try this link for moussaka....I find using lamb a bit overpowering so I use minced beef instead...yummy!
http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/recipes/display/recipe_id/761/

[compostqueen]

I love it in veg chilli  

Well done for growing a big un  

[gardengran]

aubergine filled with spinach and mushrooms is really nice  you'll find it on bbc goodfood site ... yummy!

[Skip]

G’Day Dawn

Try this recipe.  We reckon it is just divine.

MOUSSAKA

Ingredients
(Serves 4 – 6 people)
3 medium zucchinis
2 brown onions, sliced
2 or 3 cloves garlic to taste, crushed or finely chopped
3 medium eggplants, sliced
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp lemon thyme (optional)
½ tsp lemon zest (optional)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil for frying
Béchamel
30g (1oz) unsalted butter
60g (2oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1½ cups milk
sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)
few dashes of Maggi seasoning http://www.thetasteofasia.com/products.asp (optional)
sea salt & white pepper

Crust
¾ cup grated Parmesan (using some to assemble the dish)
¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
½ tbsp chopped lemon thyme (if available)
Method
Cut the eggplants into thick slices, about 1.5 – 2cm (½ inch) thick, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a pot and then sprinkle the flour over it, stirring well to combine.  Continue to cook for a little while until the flour colors slightly.  Remove from the heat and pour the milk in slowly, whisking continuously to avoid lumps.  Return to the stove and continue to cook until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and Maggi seasoning and taste, adjusting the flavors if needed.  Remove from the stove.  Lay a piece of plastic wrap or kitchen paper directly on top of the sauce so that it doesn’t form a skin, set aside until needed.  This should be a thick béchamel.
The vegetables need to be well cooked.  Thinly slice the zucchinis lengthways and fry them off in batches until they’re just cooked.  Pat the eggplant strips dry, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil into the frying pan and fry off in batches – you may need to add a little extra oil every now and again.  Place the cooked eggplant strips onto kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.  Add the sliced onion to the pan, and cook until golden, then add the garlic and cook a little longer.
To make the moussaka, spray or grease an ovenproof dish with non-stick cooking spray or a little oil.  Place a layer of eggplant on the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with some grated parmesan, then top with a layer of zucchini over this.  Add a little of the cooked onion/garlic and sprinkle with more of the cheese.  Continue to alternate between eggplant, cheese, zucchini and onion/garlic, finishing with a layer of eggplant.  Pour the béchamel over the eggplant then mix the breadcrumbs with the grated Parmesan and lemon thyme and generously sprinkle this over the top of the béchamel.  Bake in a pre-heated 200ºC (400ºF) oven for 30 minutes.
Note: This is my own ‘improved’ version of Maggie Beer’s moussaka recipe http://www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/.

[Scribbler]

Imam bayildi

[jennyb]

i had a lovely meal recently at the Barge Inn at Seend Cleeve, wiltshire.

spiced aubergine with cous cous, ratatouille and parmesan.

it was half an aubergine with light curry spices on it which had been roasted til tender on a bed of lightly flavoured cous cous.  with ratatouille served on the aubergine and a few parmesan shavings on top.

[Ice]

Imam Bayildi (The priest fainted)

4 medium aubergines
6 tbsps olive oil
2 onions thinly sliced
2 green peppers thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 ripe tomatoes thinly sliced
3 tbsps tomato puree
2 tsps salt
half tsp paprika
1 tsp allspice
3 tbsps choped parsley
8 fl ozs cooking oil
1 pint boiling water

Wash and dry the aubergine leaving on the stalks.  Make a slit lenghtways along them and sprinkle salt inside.  Set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add onions peppers and garlic.  Fry gently for about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tom puree, salt, paprika and allspice.  Stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Rinse out the aubergine and pat dry.  Heat the cooking oil in a pan and fry rhe aubergine turning a few times until it softens.  Remove from the heat and place in an ovenproof dish.  Spoon the onion mixture into the slits.  Any left over can be added to dish.  Pour over boiling water.  Place in centre of oven at gas 6, 400f, 200c and cook for 1 hour.

Serve at room temp garnished with parsley.

This may seem a faff but it really is one of the best aubergine dishes I have ever eaten and I cook it a lot.

[chrissie B]

a simple recipe is a Greek one
chopped tomatoes
sliced aubergines
chopped onions
chopped garlic
must be olive oil
salt and pepper
make a tomato sauce the more garlicky the better
grill or fry the aubergines and place in the sauce and simmer till just squishy , ready
can be done in the oven , also very nice with feta crumbled over and grilled till brown .
serve with huge chunks of bread
make in bulk , freezes well
Chrissie b

[SalJ1980]

OH and I quite often make "aubergine and anything else we have to hand" risotto, stuff it in the aubergine shells and bake it - usually do a breadcrumb, pine nut and fresh parmesan topping - YUMMY!