This invention was like a ready steady cook challenge. I had aubergines, I had feta and I had some bread that was at the end of its life.
Originally I was going to stuff the aubergines which would have been equally delicious, but it is much harder to share with a group of people . Plus, by layering all the components onto a platter you get the maximum bang for your buck and by that I mean an equal distribution of fried garlic and chilli breadcrumbs…
The combination of the chilli, mint, feta and soy was inspired. On that note, there is quite a lot of chilli in this recipe, so adjust to your spice levels accordingly.
Serves 4 /5
Ingredients:
Aubergines
2 large aubergines or 3 small
Cumin/ paprika/ Chilli flakes
1tblsp soy sauce
Salt & pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
Fresh mint
Feta drizzle
1 small fresh chilli
Around half a block of feta
1 lime (zest and juice)
2 tsp olive oil
Chilli Breadcrumbs
Two slices of bread/ however much you would like (this can be a little stale)
1 tbl lazy chilli
1 tbl lazy garlic
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/ 350°F
Cut your aubergine width ways in to circular rounds - make sure they are not too thinly sliced as they will be greasy - around 3-4cm thick
Lay onto a baking sheet and toss with a tsp each spice/ drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper
Bake in oven for around 12-13 minutes - they should be soft but not shrivelled
In a bowl pour your olive oil, grate in your lime zest and squeeze in your juice
Crumble in your feta
Add very finely chopped chilli (I like it spicy but you don’t need a whole chilli)
Taste and adjust - you might need some more olive oil or lime juice to ensure it is runny
In a hot frying pan heat up the olive oil and crumble in the bread roughly, add the chilli and garlic and fry until golden brown
Assemble the salad, by lying out the aubergines on a platter, drizzling over the feta dressing and finishing with the bread crumbles
Finally top with some roughly chopped mint