Aubergine Bake

I just love aubergine. It is one of my favourite vegetables & is delicious prepared in so many varied ways such as stuffed & roasted, mashed into a caviar, baked in moussaka. It is such a versatile vegetable & this is an easy way I prepare it for a quick lunch. I usually enjoy it with a simple side salad & a couple slices of baguette.

2 Servings

Ingredients:

Olive oil

2 small or 1 large aubergine, peeled & sliced lengthways

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

4 tomatoes, blanched, peeled & finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 ball of mozzarella, sliced

2 tbsp finely grated parmesan

S&P

Instructions:

Heat your oven to 180c if using a fan assisted oven, or 200c for a traditional oven.

Peel & slice the aubergine lengthways, with each slice being roughly 1cm thick.

Warm a drizzle of olive oil in a pan & add the slices. You may need to do this in 2-3 batches as you won't fit all the aubergine in one pan. Fry the slices until soft & slightly caramelised, roughly 5-7 minutes, turning regularly.

Once cooked, layer in a baking tray, stacking the slices on top of each other to create a 3 layer bake.

Meanwhile, blanche the tomatoes for 2 minutes before straining & dunking them in icy water to halt the cooking process.

Peel the tomatoes & chop before adding to a pot.

Bring to a simmer & add the garlic, basil, S&P.

Allow to simmer 10 minute on low heat, stirring regularly.

Pour the tomato sauce over the aubergine.

Shower with parmesan & place the slices of mozzarella over the top.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.