"Do you think it suits me? My nephew Lewis asked as he tried on a dark, navy blue, linen shirt in the Fara Workshop just off the Angel, Islington, North London. "Yes" I replied in truth. He returned to the changing room, dressed and took the shirt to the counter. "A great shirt at a great price" I thought as the sales assistant began to fold it up ready to place in a bag. Lewis had a second thought. He intercepted the assistant as she began to package the shirt and asked "Ohh...can I wear it now?" The shirt was unfolded and he returned to the changing room to switch the shirts on his back.
I love sewing and if you do too check out the Fara Workshop, a social enterprise, where great clothes are made from donated fabrics and clothes. Any profits go to the Fara Foundation a registered charity in the UK and Rumania. They run inspirational workshops too in their spacious modern looking building.
It was lunch time so we made our way to Ottolenghi's on Upper Street and had a great meal of colourful salads and beautifully prepared morsels of meat and fish with a sumptuous cake to finish.
The one dish that caught my eye and captured my imagination was a dish of baked aubergines topped with Greek yogurt combined with tahini, garlic and lemon. Small, wafer thin, pink discs of pickled radish finished the dish and looked stunning. The pickled radish needs to be made the day before.
On my return home I looked through the Ottolenhi cook books and could not find the recipe but I really wanted to make it. So below is my version of the Ottolenghi dish. The tahini stirred into Greek yogurt with lemon juice and garlic makes a fine dressing. This dish will only be a success if the aubergine is cooked well (the texture should be soft and giving), and the balance of flavours in the tahini is right. So be sure to check the balance of flavours before you serve.
To complete the meal I made some simple bread dough with organic white flour, rolled thin and a little larger and rounder than a pita. And while the oven was on I baked some sticky, caramelised onions.
Aubergine with tahini, yogurt and pickled radish
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 1 large aubergine, cut into rings 1.5cm thick
- fine cooking salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp tahini
- squeeze fresh lemon to taste
- sea salt and black pepper
- small clove garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
For the pickled radish
- small bunch of radish, washed and thinly sliced
- 250 ml white wine vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 1 tsp fine cooking salt
- 1 tbsp white sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas mark 6
Place the aubergine rings in a colander resting on a plate, or something to catch the juice from the aubergine. Sprinkle the aubergine with fine salt and leave for 20 minutes for the salt to draw some of the moisture from the flesh. This process softens the aubergine and helps to achieve the delicate, silken, giving texture you want to achieve when it is cooked. When you see drops of liquid collecting on the plate, rinse the aubergine well. Shake and then wipe the aubergine rings dry and place on an oiled baking sheet. Dribble some olive oil on the baking sheet and wipe the slices of aubergine in the oil to ensure each piece is coated with a fine film of oil. Bake the aubergine in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until soft but not burnt. Sometimes I cover the aubergine with a sheet of foil or a lid of some sort during the early stages of cooking as this traps the moisture and results in the aubergine being simultaneously steamed and baked. This is the ideal way of cooking aubergine. You are aiming for a gently caramelised surface and a soft silken flesh. If you master this then you will be on your way to be a great cook of middle eastern food.
To make the tahini yogurt dressing:
place 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a bowl with tahini, and lemon juice. Mix well and if the dressing become too thick just let it down with a little more lemon juice or water. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
To make pickled radish:
Slice the radish thinly and place them in a jam jar. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small saucepan and heat gently. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and pour over the sliced radish. After one day the radish will have turned a delightful neon pink and will be OK to eat but leave for a week for a better texture. I keep mine in the fridge and used in salads.
To assemble the dish:
Place the aubergine on a serving dish and top with a dollop of tahini yogurt. Place a disc of pink pickled radish on each piece of aubergine and scatter with chopped coriander.
The recipe for the flat bread can be viewed here but rather than roll into a tear shape as for pita bread roll into a thin disc measuring about 25cm across. I find rolling dough out on parchment paper makes it easier to roll thinly. The flat bred can be cooked in a very hot oven (240C/Gas 9) for 8 - 10 minutes on in a very hot preheated cast iron frying pan for the same amount of time.
The red onions were simply peeled, quartered and tossed in a mixture of a little flaked sea salt, soft brown sugar and a teaspoon of Balsamic vinegar and baked in a hot oven with the aubergine for 30 minutes. A scatter of lemon thyme leaves finished them off. They are lovely to scoop up in the freshly baked flat bread.