This Stevie Parle recipe is vegan food inspiration for Christmas
There’s no better way to harness the absorbing properties of aubergine than this sweet and sour Sicilian number. It’s a wonderful mouthful, with texture and flavour coming from all directions. Eat this with mozzarella and a piece of bread, or pair with a piece of fish or a pork chop, a perfect vegan food idea for Christmas.
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 small red onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
4 celery sticks, stickly sliced
1 ½ tbsp capers
20g stoned black olives, roughly chopped
20g pine nuts
20g raisins
Vegetable oil, to fry
700g aubergine, cut into 2-3cm cubes
2 handfuls of mint, chopped
10ml red wine vinegar
METHOD
In a large frying pan, warm the olive oil and fry the onions and a pinch of salt for 15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic after 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a small pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the celery for 2-3 minutes until al dente, then drain.
Add the capers, olives and raisins to the onion and cook for a few more minutes to incorporate, then scrape into a mixing bowl. Wipe the pan clean, then return to a medium heat and toast the pine nuts, shaking the pan until they’re golden; then add to the onion bowl.
Pour the veg oil into a heavy-based, deep pan or wok and place over a medium heat. Bring to a heat of 160C and deep fry the cubes of aubergine, cooking until they’re brown all over and tender inside, then scoop onto kitchen paper to drain.
Once you’ve cooked all the aubergine, season the cubes well, then transfer to the onion bowl along with the mint and the vinegar. Toss everything together and season to taste. Allow to marinate for 4 hours at room temp before serving.
To book a table at Stevie Parle’s restaurant Pastaio go to pastaio.co.uk
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