Roasted Aubergine with Pomegranate, Feta and Parsley

Roasted Aubergine with Pomegranate, Feta and Parsley

Ingredients:

Serves 4
3 medium aubergines (about 1kg)
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (20g),or a mixture of parsley and mint, roughly chopped
150g feta cheese
1 ripe pomegranate, seeds only

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Cut the aubergines in half lengthways, then chop roughly into 2.5cm cubes and put them into a large bowl. In a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, break the coriander and cumin seeds down a little so that they are crushed but not ground to a powder. Add them to the bowl with the aubergines.

Next add the olive oil, as well as a generous pinch of both salt and black pepper. At this stage, it is advisable to roll up your sleeves and get your hands in the bowl, turning the aubergines over in the oil and spices until coated as evenly as possible.

Tip the aubergines out onto a baking tray, making sure that they fit without overlapping. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cubes are crisp and dark at the edges and utterly squashy inside.

Remove and allow to cool almost to room temperature. Transfer to an attractive platter or wide-rimmed bowl, adding the herbs and mixing them through as your do so. Crumble over the feta, then scatter with pomegranate seeds and an additional sprinkling of sea salt and pepper.
Serve warm or at room temperature but never, ever cold.

Notes:
To remove the seeds from a pomegranate, cut the pomegranate in half across its middle. Hold one half, cut-side down, in the palm of your hand. Now take a wooden spoon and hit the shiny outer skin of the pomegranate with the flat of the spoon. You will need to do this quite forcefully so don't be shy. Each time you give the pomegranate a good whack, more of the seeds will fall out into your hand.

• This salad can be made a day in advance, although it's best to add the herbs and feta at the last minute.

Recipes courtesy of the Divertimenti Cookbook (by Camilla Schneideman, Weidenfeld & Nichoson 2007)