Aubergine, Oregano & Chilli Bake

Nigel Barden
4 hours ago
2 min read

by Ed Smith from On the Side, A Sourcebook of Inspiring Side Dishes (Bloomsbury)

Photography: Joe Woodhouse

Aubergine is often described as requiring a lot of oil and plenty of time in a hot pan or deep fryer, but I think this relatively dry oven-roasted method achieves a perfectly satisfying result. Actually, the result is more than satisfying: it’s utterly luxurious (though that may be on account of the cream and cheese).

If you can’t find baby aubergines, it’s okay to use ordinary ones cut in half lengthways, then into 2–3cm half moons. However, I have a particular fondness for the texture that the baby variety provides; the ratio of skin to flesh is higher, which adds a pleasing chewiness to what are otherwise decadently silky mouthfuls. This dish + a roast rib of beef + some crisp potatoes + a mound of brassica leaves = heaven.

Serves 4–6 as a side

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

About 750g baby aubergines

2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced

300ml double cream

130ml milk

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

Leaves from 4 stems oregano, or 1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano

1 mild chilli, finely diced

35g Parmesan, grated

Juice and finely grated zest of ¼ lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to its highest temperature (about 250°C/Fan 250°C/Gas 10). Pour the oil into a large roasting tin that will easily fit the aubergines in one layer. Wash and dry the aubergines, slice the stalk tips off, then cut each one in half. Add them to the tin and mix well so that every piece is glossed. Roast on the top shelf for 15 minutes, or until they colour and shrivel. Remove from the oven, add the onions, toss well and set aside (this is so that the onions receive a little of the residual heat before the next stage). Turn the oven down to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3½.

Meanwhile, put the cream, milk, garlic, oregano and chilli in a saucepan and place over a medium heat. When it’s nearly simmering, add the Parmesan and stir until melted and fully incorporated. Remove from the heat. Tip the aubergine and onions into a smaller ovenproof dish so that they fit in 1–2 layers. Pour the cream mixture over the top and gently stir it in. Bake for 20 minutes or so, or until the aubergines are soft and yielding and the cream is thick and lightly golden on top. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of zest as a seasoning to lift and refresh the dish, rather than to make it taste of lemon.

You could prepare this in advance, stopping once you’ve mixed the aubergines and cream. If you do that, add another 5–10 minutes to the final cooking stage and don’t add the lemon until just before serving.

Drinks tasted on air, alongside the dish: