I’ve mentioned before how much I love aubergines, I love the texture and the delicate, subtle flavour, I just adore them…. and this recipe sounds absolutely gorgeous! I have everything except the mirin, so next time I go shopping that will be on the list. I will have to divide the recipe by four as only I like aubergines… I suppose I could do it as described and then freeze the other three portions… sounds like a plan! Simon Hopkinson is an amazing cook, and his recipes really work!
Aubergines with ginger, spring onions and red chilli recipe
By Simon Hopkinson
Serves four
- 200ml mirin (sweetened rice wine)
- 50ml light soy sauce
- 1 large knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 4 long purple Asian aubergines (approx 600g), from any good Asian grocer
- Peanut oil or other neutral-flavoured oil
- Pour the mirin into a saucepan, bring up to the boil, then simmer until reduced to about half its original volume. Decant into a bowl and allow to cool completely. Add the next six ingredients and stir together.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7.
- To prepare the aubergines, cut them in half lengthways and lightly score their surfaces with a sharp knife in a criss-cross fashion – don’t go too deep.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Lower in the aubergines cut-side down and fry until the flesh is golden (you will have to do this in batches, together with more oil); it will take about 3 minutes. Now turn them over and cook for about the same time, skin-side down. Drain well on kitchen paper, cut-side down, then place them on to a heatproof, shallow baking tray, cut-side uppermost.
- Now, carefully spoon over about half the dressing, dividing it as you go between each aubergine.
- Place in the oven (top shelf) for 5 minutes. Remove, and add more dressing. Continue to bake the aubergines until very tender and almost drenched in the aromatic dressing; residue will also have collected in the baking tray, which will have become deliciously brown and sticky. Flash under a hot grill to add extra gilding, if you so wish.
Lois Elsden 
Oooh, pretty aubergines… I’ve never been crazy about the taste though. They seem to promise so much more!
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Honestly, you should persevere with some recipes because when you get it right they’re yummy! Also if you’re a meat eater and cooking for a veggie friend they do add a ‘meaty’ texture to things!
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