Griddled Aubergine, Garlic Yoghurt, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Brown Butter
This dish is made for wiping around the plate with chunks of bread. It is equally delicious to have on top of rice or thick strands of pasta. Salty, fatty, sharp, nutty: all good things, made greater by being grouped together on one plate. It can also happily be served at room temperature, just make sure the butter is hot when you serve it. I like to serve this on a large platter or serving bowl in the centre of the table for people to dig into as they please. This works well as part of a larger meal or as a starter with some bread to mop up the juices.
Method
Based on 4 servings, adjust as needed.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Place the tomatoes on an oven tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil If cooking for 4). Roast for 5–7 minutes until the tomatoes are blistering. Remove and set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Brush the aubergine slices with the remaining oil and griddle for 3-4 minutes on each side until well charred and fully cooked through. Try to turn only once to make sure you get neat lines: partially lift up a slice to see how the gridding is going and if the satisfying char lines are there, turn them; if not, lay the slice back down and continue to cook.
Step 3
Toast the walnuts on a tray in the oven for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the aubergine from the griddle and transfer to a plate: stack the slices on top of each other in towers. The residual heat encourages them to cook.
Step 5
Mix the yoghurt and garlic together with a good pinch of crushed salt flakes.
Step 6
Meanwhile, place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Watch it carefully as you don’t want it to burn. Allow the butter to bubble and the solids to begin to gently brown. Once the butter begins to go a rich golden colour, remove from the heat. The butter will keep cooking in the residual heat of the pan. Place a small bowl to the side and if it starts to go too far, decant it into the bowl to stop the cooking. You can always stop and then cook a little further, so don’t rush. Once done, stir in a pinch of salt.
Step 7
Spoon the yoghurt mixture onto a platter or plate individually, if you like. Lay over the aubergine slices. Top with the branches of tomatoes and any individual tomatoes that have fallen loose. Break up the walnuts into large pieces and add. Finally, liberally spoon the brown butter over everything.
- Ingredients
- Based on 4 servings
-
300g Cherry Tomatoes On The Vine 1x Sainsbury's Vittoria Cherry Vine Tomatoes, Taste the Difference 400g -
60g Walnuts 1x Sainsbury's Walnuts, Pieces 200g -
1 Garlic Clove, finely grated 1x Sainsbury's Garlic -
75g Unsalted Butter 1x Sainsbury's British Butter, Unsalted 250g -
5 tbsp Sunflower Oil 1x JS Sunflower Oil 1L -
4 Aubergines, sliced about 2cm thick 4x Sainsbury's Aubergine -
200g Yoghurt 1x Sainsbury's Natural Yogurt 500g