Food Bloggers Have Yet To Let Me Down

Aubergine sounds so much more sophisticated than eggplant. Calling this dish Aubergine Tartere takes it to a whole other level. I’d like to say I was the genius behind this, but I’m definitely not. Nope, this is another post that’s all about sharing the love, so if you’re sensing a little déjà vu, there’s a reason for it. Last week I was going through my regular blog reading when I came across a recipe for Caramelized Aubergine Tartare with Curried Nuts by Johanna of The Passionate Cook. And wouldn’t you know it, I had an eggplant, excuse me, aubergine, sitting on my counter just waiting to be used. Eggplant isn’t something I use very often, mainly because I don’t really know how to cook it. I like to eat it though. The trouble with cooking it is that both its forte and downfall seem to be that it acts like a sponge and soaks up whatever’s nearby. That could be oil or it could be sauce. Eggplant that’s oil soaked and soggy is not a good thing. No worries, that’s not the case with this recipe. It also gets bonus points for esthetics. Of course my version has a few changes because I have a hard time following directions, but visually they turned out pretty similar. Alright, who's got another recipe for me to try?

Caramelised aubergine tartare à la Bri (Adapted from The Passionate Cook)

1 medium aubergine (aka eggplant)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 big cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp garam masala
1 ½ tbsp shallot red wine vinegar
2 dashes of Sriracha chili sauce
salt, pepper
2 tbsp goats cheese
12 roasted cherry tomatoes

Half the aubergine, then cut 2 thin slices from the middle. Make sure they're as even as possible. Dice the rest of the aubergine (cubes of less than 1 cm) and rest in a bowl with salted water for about 10 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan, add the garlic, garam masala and shallot and cook until starting to brown lightly. Add the drained aubergines and the sugar, then cook for about 10 minutes, with the lid on.

When the aubergines are done, season with salt, pepper, vinegar and chili sauce, then set aside. In the same frying pan, cook the aubergine slices without adding any oil until soft and starting to brown.
Divide the aubergine tartare between two plates and wrap and aubergine slice around each. Top with a roasted tomato and goats cheese. Decorate with remaining roasted tomatoes.

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Eggplant + Aubergine + Recipe