Grilled aubergine with fattoush

Ingredients to serve 6

Annie Bell
Wednesday 31 December 2008 20:00 EST
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Aubergine

3 medium aubergines, ends discarded, cut into 1cm slices
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed to a paste
3 tablespoons tahini
1 pomegranate, seeds removed

Fattoush

3 pitta breads, slit in half
extra virgin olive oil
500g small tomatoes on the vine, quartered
sea salt
a pinch of sugar
150g radishes, trimmed and quartered
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
20g each fresh mint, coriander and parsley leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6. Lay the aubergines on two baking trays, brush slices with oil on both sides, season the top. Roast for 20 minutes, turn and cook for another 10–20 minutes until golden. Loosen with a spatula, allow to cool. Leave the oven turned on.

For the tahini dressing, blend lemon juice with garlic and a little salt in a bowl, add the tahini and blend to thick paste. Add 4 tablespoons of water, whisk.

To make the fattoush, lay the pitta halves on baking trays and brush with oil. Once the aubergine slices are out of the oven, bake the pittas for 10–12 minutes, until crisp, removing them as they are ready. Leave to cool, break into pieces. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and season with salt and sugar. Scatter the radishes over, then the onion and herbs, and pile the bread on top. Whisk the lemon juice with a little salt and 3 tablespoons of oil, when you're ready to serve, pour the dressing over the fattoush and toss.

Arrange aubergine slices on a plate, drizzling over the tahini dressing and scattering with pomegranate seeds. Serve with fattoush.

From 'Gorgeous Suppers' by Annie Bell (Kyle Cathie, £14.99)

Sommelier's choice

Berrys' Food & Wine Matching Expert, Nick Page, recommends:

2007 Domaine Félines Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet, £7.55

For this Moroccan dish, you need a wine with good acidity to cut through the oil which has soaked into the aubergines, and one that works with the strong flavours.

B erry Bros. & Rudd, www.bbr.com, 0870 900 4300

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