It was the aubergines that caught my eye this week at the local farm shop. The shiny purple skin was irresistible, and it made me realise that I hadn’t cooked with one for some time. I put one in my basket, along with a fresh leek, and this winter casserole dish began to come together.
My favourite way to cook aubergine is in slices on the ridges of a griddle pan. I like seeing the enormously satisfying tiger stripes forming, as I flip them over to cook on the other side. It’s kind of a reminder that spring is soon around the corner, and the barbecuing season is not that far away.
The striped aubergine is then mixed in with cooked, softened leek, tomato passata and cannellini beans to make a tasty filling base. It is all topped off with a crust of wholemeal breadcrumbs, chopped toasted nuts and grated blue stilton cheese.
Servings
4 adult portions.
Timings
15mins to cook and combine, then 20 mins in the oven at 180C, and a final 5 mins under the grill.
You Will Need
- 1 aubergine
- oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 leek
- 400g can of cannellini beans
- 500g carton of tomato passata
- a few twists of black pepper
- 100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 60g toasted mixed nuts
- 60g grated stilton cheese
Method
- Switch on the oven to warm up to 180C.
- Oil a ridged griddle pan and bring it to a moderate heat. Lay slices of aubergine in the pan for 3 – 4 mins, then turn them over. Use your judgment about heat and timing so that you get the nice tiger stripe effect on both sides. Remove to a warm plate.
- While the aubergine is frying, crush the garlic clove into a saucepan with some oil, over a moderate heat. Add in the leek, chopped into slices. Stir every so often for 5 – 6 mins until the leek has softened. Pour in the passata and drained cannellini beans, with a few twists of black pepper, and stir. Reduce to a simmer.
- Blitz the bread and nuts in a food processor with blade fitted. Tip into a bowl and add the grated cheese. Stir so that the cheese is evenly distributed.
- When the oven is up to temperature, transfer the aubergine to a shallow casserole dish. Tip in the leek, bean and tomato mix and gently coat the aubergine slices by turning them over a few times in the dish.
- Sprinkle over the breadcrumb, nut and stilton topping and spread it out so that it reaches all four sides. Drizzle some oil over and place in the oven for 20 mins.
- For the last 5 mins of cooking, place under a grill so that the topping crisps up.
Customise It!
Lots of opportunity here. Throw in whatever fresh herbs you may have to hand, and mix in a handful of seeds to the topping. Butter beans are a good substitute for the cannellini beans. For a vegan version, omit the stilton cheese or use a suitable vegan cheese, grated.
On the way back from the farm shop, this track came on the car stereo. I love it when a great track that I haven’t heard in a while comes on the radio. Needless to say, I turned the volume up and drummed along with my fingers on the steering wheel. Now we can all enjoy it here! This is Swing Out Sister with Breakout.
A Different Kitchen 