Grilled Aubergine with Whipped Goat’s Cheese Orange Zest & Pumpkin Seeds
When it comes to veg on the grill, I think aubergines are hands-down my favourite. When people tell me they don’t like aubs, I fear they have either had them undercooked (a grim, chewy texture) or under-seasoned so they are bland. Here, they are neither. and this simple warm salad ticks all my boxes – salty, creamy, crunchy, sweet, sharp. This is best served shortly after the aubergines leave the grill, while they are warm and still a little crisp at the edges. And, if you happened to have made the Smoked Hot Honey (in the book), it’s just excellent here!
Ingredients
2 aubergines (eggplants), sliced into 1cm discs
2 tbsp olive oil
25g pumpkin seeds
1 orange
A little fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped, to garnish
A drizzle of runny honey or
Smoked Hot Honey (in book)
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
WHIPPED CHEESE
100g soft goat’s cheese
3 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt
Method
1. Fire up the barbecue ready for direct grilling.
2. Crumble the goat’s cheese into a mixing bowl, add the yogurt and some black pepper. Use a spatula (or electric whisk) to beat together until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. Spread the aubergine discs out onto a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and take to the grill. Set the discs, oil-side down, onto the grill bars and grill until lightly charred on both sides. Slide away from the fire to finish softening all the way through.
4. Set a small pan over the fire and tip in the pumpkin seeds. Toast for a couple of minutes until a shade darker, then transfer to a small bowl.
5. The grill work is now done so shut the lid and vents to preserve the fuel or use it to cook something else.
6. Spread the aubergine over a serving plate. Finely grate the orange zest all over the top, dot with little spoonfuls of the whipped goat’s cheese and scatter over the pumpkin seeds and parsley. Drizzle with the honey, then give a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of black pepper before serving still warm.
Extracted from How to BBQ, Genevieve Taylor (Quadrille, £25.00) Photography by Jason Ingram
More Recipes Ideas
Method
1. Fire up the barbecue ready for direct grilling.
2. Crumble the goat’s cheese into a mixing bowl, add the yogurt and some black pepper. Use a spatula (or electric whisk) to beat together until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. Spread the aubergine discs out onto a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and take to the grill. Set the discs, oil-side down, onto the grill bars and grill until lightly charred on both sides. Slide away from the fire to finish softening all the way through.
4. Set a small pan over the fire and tip in the pumpkin seeds. Toast for a couple of minutes until a shade darker, then transfer to a small bowl.
5. The grill work is now done so shut the lid and vents to preserve the fuel or use it to cook something else.
6. Spread the aubergine over a serving plate. Finely grate the orange zest all over the top, dot with little spoonfuls of the whipped goat’s cheese and scatter over the pumpkin seeds and parsley. Drizzle with the honey, then give a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of black pepper before serving still warm.
Extracted from How to BBQ, Genevieve Taylor (Quadrille, £25.00) Photography by Jason Ingram
