Smoked aubergine salad

Ingredients

• 1 large aubergine
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 5g flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
• 8 fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• ¼ tsp sumac
• A pinch of freshly milled black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt (optional), to finish
• ¼ tsp Turkish dried mint, to finish
• ¼ tsp pul biber, to finish

Method

Heat the grill to its hottest setting with the oven rack positioned 10cm below the grill, or fire up the barbecue.

Prick the aubergines a couple of times with a sharp knife to release built-up steam and prevent them from exploding during cooking. Place under the grill or on the barbecue.

Blacken the aubergines, red pepper and tomato. Remove the tomato once its skin splits and place in a bowl. Turn the peppers when fully charred to blacken the other side. Add the red pepper to the bowl with the tomato, covering them with cling film and leaving to cool.

The aubergines take longest to cook. Remove when fully blackened, soft to the touch and collapsing. Transfer the aubergines to a dish and leave to cool for 30 mins. Once cooled, peel off and discard the charred skin from the red pepper, tomato and aubergine.

To make the salad, roughly chop the softened aubergine flesh, red pepper and tomato into chunky pieces and transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt, black pepper or lemon juice, according to your preference.

Transfer the salad to a serving dish. Top with a few dollops of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of dried mint and pul biber. Enjoy at room temperature or chilled with warm bread or pita chips for dipping, or as a side dish with a spread.

Image: Joe Woodhouse

Recipe from Arabica: Small Plates, Big Connections by James Walters (Carnival)