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Grilled eggplants and pomegranate dressing
Serves 6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 6 small eggplants, approximately 10cm long
- olive oil
- 3tbsp butter
- 1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped
- 500ml pomegranate juice
- 125ml chicken stock
- 1tbsp cornflour and 30ml water mixed into a paste
- 60g pomegranate molasses
For the garnish
- fresh mint leaves
- 135g toasted pine nuts
- fresh pomegranate seeds
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Peel the eggplants, then slice them thinly lengthways, keeping the tops intact. Brush all over with oil. Fan out each eggplant and press down on it to expose and flatten the insides. Season with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes until golden and cooked. Remove to cool.
For the sauce, heat the butter in a medium saucepan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the pomegranate juice, stock and bring to a boil. Keep on high heat for about 10 minutes to concentrate the flavour and allow some liquid to evaporate. Stir in the corn-flour paste to thicken the sauce slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the pomegranate molasses. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cooled eggplants on small plates and drizzle some of the sauce on top. Garnish with the mint leaves, toasted pine nuts and fresh pomegranate seeds.
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