Aubergine with Buttermilk Sauce

(serves 4)

• 2 large and long aubergines

• 80 ml olive oil

• 1 ½ tsp lemon thyme leaves, plus a few whole springs to garnish

• 1 pomegranate

• 1 tsp za’atar

• Maldon sea salt and black pepper

• 140 ml buttermilk

• 100 g Greek yoghurt

• 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil (for the sauce), plus a drizzle to finish

• 1 small garlic clove, crushed

• Pinch of salt (for the sauce)

1 Preheat the oven to 200 ⁰C. Cut the aubergines in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don’t eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each aubergine half, without cutting through the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shape pattern.

2 Place the aubergine halves, cut side-up, on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Brush them with olive oil – keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 – 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavoursome and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down completely.

3 While the aubergines ae in the oven, prepare the pomegranate and sauce. Cut the pomegranate into two horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl, with the cut side against your palm, and use the back of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin to gently knock on the pomegranate skin. Continue beating with increasing power until the seeds start coming out naturally and falling through your fingers into the bowl. Once all are there, sift through the seeds to remove any bits of white skin or membrane.

4 For sauce, just whisk together buttermilk, Greek yoghurt, olive oil and a garlic clove. Taste for seasoning, then keep cold until needed.

5 To serve, spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the aubergine halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za’atar and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with lemon thyme. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

My Tips:

• If you can’t find za’atar, you can use a finely ground mix of dried thyme, oregano and sesame seeds. You can also use sesame oil for the final brushes before roasting aubergines.

Source: „Plenty “ by Yotam Ottolenghi, 2010 (Ebury press)