Aromatic aubergines in the oven

Difficulty:  Time:

INGREDIENTS: (x 4 persons)

• - 2 long black aubergines
• - 1 handful of parsley and fresh mint leaves
• - 1 handful of grated Parmesan
• - 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• - 1 handful of plain breadcrumbs (optional)
• - extra virgin olive oil
• - salt/ground pepper
• - oregano

WHAT TO DO:

• 1. Cut the aubergines lengthwise and discard small portions of the skin alternatively, as if you are making small black and white stripes on the skin.
• 2. Brush both sides of the aubergine with some olive oil.
• 3. In a separate bowl, make a mix of parsley, mint, garlic, salt and pepper, and breadcrumbs (optional).
• 4. With a knife, make two cuts on the flat part of each half aubergine so the mix can enter thereby making sure you don’t cut through the skin (I would say, half the depth).
• 5. In each cut, press the mix using your hands.
• 6. Add on top of each slice a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.
• 7. Cook the stuffed aubergines in a pre-heated oven (180°C) for about 20 min covered under aluminium foil, then uncovered for 5-10 extra minutes until golden on the surface.

TIPS & TRICKS:

• - They are served better when they are warm, so cool them before serving. I would suggest, for your convenience, to prepare them in advance, perhaps even the day before. In this case store them in a sealed box in the fridge and warm them up before serving.
• - If the aubergines are not of good quality (e.g. at the end of the season or imported), you can take the bitter flavour out. Do so by placing them already cut for about 15-30 minutes under a heavy object (but don’t crush them) with a grinding of sea salt. Then, rinse the salt under running water before starting with the recipe, making sure the salt is all out.