griddled fennel aubergine recipe

This tasty aubergine dish is an excellent easy late summer/autumn lunch or starter for dinner. At lunch, serve it with a pile of green salad.

serves 6 (or 2 if you like it strong)

• 3 aubergines
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 200g mild whole-milk natural yoghurt
• Small bunch mint
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Cut the aubergine lengthways into 1cm slices and cut shallow diagonal cuts into the flesh. Rub fennel seed and a little salt and extra virgin olive oil into the cuts and griddle them for a few minutes on each side until they’re slightly charred and tender.

Eat them on their own or dipped into Tzatziki.

To make this, grate the cucumber – you don’t need to skin – and put it in a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle it with the fine salt and leave it to drain for half an hour. Pat the cucumber dry with kitchen paper.

Mix with the yoghurt, mint, garlic, olive oil and just enough water to give you the consistency you want, usually in the in the region of 100ml.

This recipe featured on p.268 of Sarah Raven's Food for Friends and Family cookbook.