Читать книгу Food from the Sun - Neven Maguire - Страница 15

Serves 4 | VEGETARIAN

1 large aubergine

120ml (4fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

1 ripe beef tomato

2 x 100g (4oz) balls of mozzarella cheese

about 2 tbsp basil pesto

8 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and halved

salt and freshly ground black pepper

lightly dressed rocket salad (see page 100), to serve

8 cocktail sticks

These are great for a barbecue, as a starter or an exciting side dish with any kind of meat. They can be made in advance and simply popped on the barbecue just before you want to eat. You could also replace the mozzarella with feta or halloumi.

Trim off the stalk end of the aubergine, then cut lengthways into eight slices, 5mm (1/4in) thick, discarding the ends. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Preheat a griddle pan until very hot, or prepare a barbecue with medium–hot coals. Mix together the olive oil, garlic and lemon rind in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper, then brush the mixture over the aubergine slices. Place the aubergine on the heated griddle pan or the barbecue and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until charred. Be careful not to cook for any longer or the aubergine will become too soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.

Slice the top and bottom off the tomato and cut the rest into four thick slices, then cut each slice in half again to make eight pieces in total. Cut each mozzarella ball into four slices. Place the cooked aubergine slices on a clean work surface and place a piece of tomato in the middle of each slice. Arrange a slice of mozzarella on top, then add a small dollop of the basil pesto. Arrange the sun-dried tomatoes on top and season with salt and pepper. Flip over both ends of the aubergine to enclose the filling and secure each parcel with a cocktail stick.

Brush the outside of each parcel with the rest of the garlic and lemon oil and return to the griddle pan or barbecue for 1–2 minutes on each side or until they are heated through and lightly golden. Again, be careful not to overcook. To serve, arrange on warmed plates with the rocket salad.