The last late summer meets early autumn days are the perfect occasion for firing up the barbecue and making the most of the relaxed atmosphere that comes with sitting outdoors to eat.
To have the impact, I recommend leaning in to the way we use the mangal (barbecue) in the Middle East – as a wonderful vehicle for grilling vegetables. Alongside the tender and juicy cuts of lamb I ate at the barbecues we had on my grandparents’ porch in northern Iran, there would almost always be some kind of smoked aubergine dip served as an accompaniment.
I don’t know who first discovered that the humble aubergine and the mighty mangal went so well together, but they inspired innumerable dishes across the region such as this punchy garlic-infused Turkish aubergine salad. It’s a perfect summer dish to serve as an appetiser or part of a meze, scooped up with toasted flatbreads, and eaten along with some slow-cooked beans, grilled meat or fish, a vibrant crunchy salad and perhaps some (store-bought) dolmades, such as M&S stuffed vine leaves.
This is a great dish to bring along to a picnic too, and if you don’t feel like barbecuing, it’s easy to cook it indoors under a hot grill. Just be sure to pierce your aubergines with a fork a few times before you cook them, otherwise they risk exploding, which is far more trouble than you want to deal with on a balmy late summer afternoon.
Patlıcan salatası: Turkish aubergine and red pepper salad
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hour
Serves 4-6 as part of a meze
5 aubergines (1.5kg), pierced a few times with a fork
2 red peppers, halved, core and seeds removed
1½ cloves of garlic, crushed
4 tbsp lemon juice (plus extra to taste)
1 tbsp M&S Collection Mexican Orange Blossom Honey
15g parsley leaves, finely chopped (plus extra to garnish)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
If you are cooking this on a barbecue, ensure the coals are hot and then place the vegetables on the grill. Cook them, turning occasionally, until their skin is charred and they are so soft they collapse in on themselves. Depending on their size, this should take about 20 minutes for the aubergines and 10 minutes for the peppers.
If you are cooking indoors, preheat your grill to its highest setting and then place the vegetables on a large baking tray and grill for about one hour, turning every 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and their skin is blackened. The more charred they are, the deeper the smoky flavour so don’t hold back.
The peppers should be ready after about 40 minutes, so remove these earlier and transfer to a plate to cool. Peel off their skin and dice into 1cm squares.
Once the aubergines have cooked and cooled, scoop out their flesh with a spoon, roughly chop it and transfer to a serving bowl along with the red peppers.
Mix through the garlic, honey, lemon juice, chopped parsley, four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, one teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Stir well and then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least one hour.
When you are ready to eat, taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with a little more lemon or salt and pepper. To serve, drizzle over some more olive oil and finish with a generous sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Find all the ingredients for an alfresco feast at your local M&S foodhall
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