Stuffed Baked Aubergines

Good hot straight from the oven, cold at dinner and still wonderful the next day. With generous roast potatoes it becomes a complete main course. Easy to prepare — and with the right technique, far simpler than it might seem.

My Father's Vegetable Garden and the Always Double Baking Tray

This dish was one of my father's favourites — and mine too. We lived in the countryside and had a beautiful vegetable garden where my father grew everything in a genuine, completely organic way. The quality of the ingredients makes everything so much better.

Coming from a large family — we are 6 children — my mother never had enough with just 2 aubergines and the tray was always enormous, sometimes doubled. For us it was always a family celebration, often cooked on Sundays with guests, aunts and cousins. In Puglia, sitting at table with only a few people is not a habit — it is an unusual event. That is Puglia — lived with people at table talking loudly, always with abundant food.

Ingredients

Serves 2 (4 boats)

2 large aubergines
Cherry tomatoes, diced small, to taste
Generous fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Breadcrumbs to taste
Generous grated Grana, Parmesan or Pecorino
2 eggs (optional — I personally leave them out)
Extra virgin olive oil — generous
Salt and black pepper to taste
3-4 large potatoes for the side

Method

Hollow out the aubergines

Cut the aubergines in half lengthways. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving about 1cm of flesh close to the skin — the aubergines must become firm little boats. Set the empty boats aside and cut the scooped flesh into small cubes.

Prepare the filling

In a medium bowl combine the aubergine flesh cubes, the diced cherry tomatoes, generous chopped parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the eggs if you wish — I personally do not. Mix everything well: the mixture must never be dry, add more oil if needed.

Fill the boats

Take the aubergine boats and fill them generously with the mixture, forming a small mound on top — the filling should be abundant and well-pressed. Arrange the 4 filled halves in the centre of a baking tray drizzled with olive oil.

Add the potatoes and bake

Cut the potatoes lengthways into medium-large wedges and arrange them all around the aubergines in the tray. Add about 2 fingers of water to the bottom of the tray. Cover the aubergines with generous grated cheese and another drizzle of oil. Bake at 200 degrees.

Stuffed aubergines ready for the oven with potatoes

Cook, checking the water

During cooking, make sure the water on the bottom of the tray never dries out completely — add more water halfway through if needed. When the aubergines look golden and roasted and the cheese is golden brown, the dish is ready.

Plate up

Make the aubergine the centrepiece of the plate and add the roast potatoes as a side. A final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is always recommended.

In Puglia, sitting at table with only a few people is not a habit — it is an unusual event. Puglia is lived with people at table, voices raised, and food always abundant.

My tips

The filling must never be dry — add olive oil generously and mix well.
The water on the bottom of the tray is essential — without it the aubergines and potatoes will dry out. Always check.
The cheese must be generous — it is what creates that irresistible golden crust on top.
Eggs in the filling hold everything more firmly together — but without eggs the flavour is lighter and more genuine.
It is delicious hot, cold and the next day — in fact the next day it is even more flavourful.
For a large family, double everything — the double tray is always the right solution!