Crumbed Aubergine with Tomato and Red Pepper Salsa and Pea shoots

[Guest guest]

aubergine (eggplant)

 

this recipe is taken from Vegetables-the new food heroes by Peter Gordon

 

I made this recipe for Christmas Eve dinner for my brother and myself

and everyone else had turkey.

 

serves 4 as a first course

 

1 large aubergine, around 450-500g (or use 2 small to medium sized ones)

4 Tbs flour

2 eggs

2 large handfuls coarse breadcrumbs

few Tbs of vegetable oil

2 handfuls of pea shoots (or use rocket, watercress or frisee)

 

for the red pepper salsa

 

1 red pepper, halved and deseeded

2 tomatoes, halved and deseeded

1 lemon

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

handful of basil leaves

2 Tbs finely snipped chives

 

Chop the base and stalk end off the aubergine, then cut it into 8 even-

sized discs. Add a little ground pepper to the flour and place in a

bedium bowl. In another bowl, whick the eggs with a teaspoon of salt.

Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. One by one, coat the slices

with flour, shaking off excess, then dip them into the beaten egg, then

into the breadcrimbs - pressing these firmly on to the slices. Once

they are all coated, place on a tray in the fridge.

 

Make the red pepper salsa: cut the pepper and tomatoes into smallish

dice. cut both ends off the lemon and sit it upright on a chopping

board. Cut the rind and pith from it. cut the flesh into dice,

discarding any pips, and mix with the tomatoes, pepper and olive oil.

Season the mixture, then mix in the basil and chives.

 

Heat a frying pan and add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, then cook

as many aubergine slices as can fit comfortably int the pan at one time

until golden all over. (If the aubergine slices are very thick, you

may want to finish them in an overn preheated to 180 C/gas 4 (350F)

until they're just cooked through).

 

to serve, place one of the 4 largest aubergine slices on each of 4

plates. Place some pea shoots on top iwht half the salsa. Sit the

remaining aubergine disc on top and spoon the remaining salsa and its

juices on top.

 

Enjoy

 

Barb, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada