A Taste of Greece : Grilled Aubergine with Mint and Feta

A Taste of Greece: Grilled Aubergine with Mint and Feta 

Warning! Never underestimate the taste of grilled aubergine, if you do you'll be missing out on a rich, smoky, flavour filled delicacy. This is such a simple recipe and inspired by the lovely Simon Hopkinson aka The Good Cook. Are you a fan of his work, like I am ? Recently, my Saturday mornings have been spent watching his programme and it is guaranteed to leave me in either one of two states; starving or salivating. No, not a nice image but I love how his recipes are themed on the classics and are approached in a simple but passionate way.
There is a slight difference with this recipe in that he uses parsley. I am using mint.
This entry contributes to the Bookmarked Vegetarian recipes event being hosted by Jacqueline over at Tinned Tomatoes and the founder of the event, Ruth. A big hello and thank you ladies!

Time:
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes

Portion Control:
Works well as a starter for 2 or light supper for 1

Ingredients:
1 aubergine
1/2 garlic clove
25g of feta cheese
2 tbsp of olive oil
Bunch of fresh mint leaves
1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions:

• Pre-heat grill to high
• Run a small, sharp knife round the top of the aubergine, 1cm/½in below the stalk and only just cutting through the skin; then make four evenly spaced, similarly shallow cuts, along the length of the aubergine right down to the end
• Grill the aubergines for about 25 minutes, turning every 5-7 minutes, until evenly cooked with charred skin, and until the aubergine feels soft, but not too collapsed within. Transfer to a large dish and allow to cool for two minutes.
• On a chopping board, finely cut the garlic, then finely chop the mint. Add the garlic to a small bowl along with the olive oil and stir. Leave to the side. This will be your dressing for the aubergine.
• Peel away the aubergine skin in four long, narrow sheets using a small knife. Without cutting right through the stalk end, cut the aubergines in half lengthways and gently prise apart until you have two horizontal halves remaining attached at the top end.
• Spoon the olive oil and garlic mixture over the aubergine.Season lightly with salt (remember that feta is salty anyway) and pepper, and crumble the feta cheese over the top. Finish lastly by scattering the mint over the aubergine and if required, more olive oil.
• Serve warm, with freshly squeezed lemon and grilled pitta bread. Works even better when served with a chilled glass of wine. Cheers!