Right, I have an Aubergine, what the frig do I do with it?

[shinyshoes]

Hoping some lovely mumsnetters will help me.

Expanding on my culinary skills I bought some Aubergine.

I don't know what to do with it, how to cook it, what to stuff in it, do I scrape out the gumph?

I have been on BBC Food and there are lots of poncey things to do with it, but it's far too advanced for an aubergine novice like me.

I just want a nice simple recipe myself and my children can enjoy and is nice and simple to do with not too poncey ingredients

Thanks Muchly X

you can use it in a veggie lasagne or moussaka which is like lasagne but with slices of aubergine instead of pasta and lamb mince .

no need to scrape anything out-it is just pretty solid inside.

you usually slice it or cube it before use and putit in a colander over a bowl with some salt sprinkled on it to remove the water from it.

erm, if you want simple simple, you can chop it up and roast it with chopped courgette, red onion, peppers, cheery tomatoes for example, then use the roasted veg as an accompaniment for meat or fish, or as the basis for a yummy pasta sauce with some tinned tomatoes and garlic.

Er, cherry tomatoes.

I'm not sure I've ever had aubergine on its own before. I am a huge fan however.

What about oven roasted veg. Get your aubergine, some courgette, onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes (pick and choose if you don't like any of these). Cut all the veg up into chunks (about 2cm if you need to know the size). Heat the oven to 180C, put all the veg on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and add salt if you want. Shove in oven for about 25-30 minutes, turning it all around a couple of times.

This is nice on its own, as an accompaniment to meat, with pasta or couscous...

x-post!

throw it away and get yourself a proper vegetable like a carrot that doesn't taste like its mushy poison.

(not terribly keen on aubergines)

fwiw, I never do the whole salting thing. I think I read somewhere that nowadays all the bitterness has been bred out of commecially grown aubergines.

In my recipe no harm's done by just chopping the aubergine and using it straight away.

Kew, you obviously never tasted my parmigiana of aubergines

aubergine is gross imo unless in mousakka

Ratatouille ?

Roast it? Cut into large cubes (skin on) and stick in a roasting tin with mushrooms, courgettes, peppers, whatever takes your fancy. Drizzle over olive oil. Roast for about 40 mins in hot oven. Nice with roast chicken, salmon, lamb.

Or - stuff it. Cut it in half lengthwise, then cut out some of the flesh and chop it. You need to leave anbout 1cm of the flesh around the sides so it is like a little boat, IYSWIM? Then saute the flesh you have removed with olive oil, garlic, chopped onion, add in a tin of chopped tomatoes, season, maybe add some oregano or basil if you have it. Let it simmer for about 30 mins so you have a nice chunky tomato/aubergine sauce. Put it back into the aubergine skins. Put some mozarella cheese on top, and put the whole thing back in a hot oven for about 30 mins until the cheese is nice and brown and melted. Nice with salad/crusty bread.

Or - aubergine parmigiana. Slice it into thick slices and fry each slice in olive oil until a little bit soft and lightly browned. You will need to do this in batches in a frying pan until the whole aubergine is done. Open a jar of good quality tomato and basil sauce (I like the seeds of change one). Layer the cooked aubergine slices with the sauce. Finish with a good layer of mozarella cheese and bake for about 40 mins. Lovely with ciabatta bread.

Yum yum.

I agree do a moussaka.

I make mine with turkey mince rather than lamb mince as it's a bit lighter. Also add way more potatoes than the recipe states and sometimes mushrooms.

mrsmalumbas your aubergine parmagano um parmiagiano? parmagiano sod it parmigiana sounds lovely I'll definitely try that one!

Fancy moussaka now too mmmm

francw - post me some and I might reconsider...

Top with tomatato passata, fresh basil, and parmesan cheese, then bake in the oven. I love aubergine!
Moussaka is gorgeous as well, and ratatouille!

Ratatouille is fairly basic. I like roast chicken with mediterranean veg, stick the chicken in with a few small pots after about 45 mins (half way through add peppers, courgette garlic, aubergene sliced into cubes, and fennel or celery.

Will do

I love aubergines, but not too keen on roasting them, they tend to get dry, I find. I usually fry them gently. If you find the sking is too tough, skin them with a potato peeler.

skin

Brilliant recipes, thanks, I will have to look up how to do a moussaka now . Or if its too fartsy, I will do the roasted with other veg options

how about stuffing it?
cut the top off and keep, scoop out as much inside as you can and mix with mince or whatever you fancy, spoon back in, replace top by using cocktail sticks and slowly roast.
the other way is to slice in half top to bottom, and scopp out and mix then stick together again using butchers string (which you can do to a marrow too, stuffed roasted marrow is fantastic!!)

If your children like spicy things try this easy curry. It's about the only way my dcs will eat aubergine as you can't really taste it too much!

Aubergine curry

1 aubergine, sliced
veg. oil
1 oinion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, chopped/grated
1 tablespoon+ curry paste
~1/4 pint water
1 tin coconut milk

fry onions, garlic + ginger in oil, when onions start to brown add curry paste, cocoanut milk & water. Bring to boil, add aubergine & simmer for 15 mins. Serve with rice & yogurt.