Aubergines with Fried Onions and Chopped Lemon

I had yet another giant lemon that needed using up and turned to the internet in search of some inspiring recipe. A sale on a glut of aubergines and a recipe for them with lemon by Yotam Ottolenghi seemed just the ticket. However, I wasn’t keen on actually turning on my oven in the hot weather (the heat leaks and heats our entire living room) and adapted the recipe to use aubergines cooked over our gas stove.

What a great dish it turned out to be! I loved the acidity of the lemon in combination with the sharp feta, silky aubergines and sweet onions. It would make a great side dish or…y’know, just spoon it all into your mouth and call it dinner.

Aubergines with Fried Onions and Chopped Lemon
adapted from an Ottolenghi recipe.
serves 2-4.

2 large or 5-6 small aubergines
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small lemon or 1/2 a giant lemon
feta cheese

Barbecue or grill the aubergines over a gas flame until soft and black all over. Let cool and then peel them and chop the flesh into large chunks. Set aside.

Heat a frying pan or saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the thinly sliced onions and let cook until caramelised (this will take a while). Add the garlic and cumin and cook and stir through. Stir through the aubergine chunks until mixed well and warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Plate.

Peel and seed the lemon and chop its flesh up and scatter on top of the aubergine mixture. Likewise, crumble however much feta cheese you’d like and scatter that on top too.

Set aside and serve at room temperature.

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