Charred aubergine with blood orange, tahini milk and lemon oil

Oven grilled aubergine with blood orange, tahini milk and lemon oil

I love the texture of aubergine, slightly meaty and incredibly satisfying it is a great one for when eating vegetarian or vegan. Full of colour and incredibly quick to prepare this definitely one to pull out when impressing guests. The tahini is flavourful and the lemon olive oil gives it that extra spark of flavour but you can use any good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon if you can't find it. I love using Belazu lemon infused olive oil for this as I think it's the best. You can find it in most supermarkets too. 

| Serves 2-3 as a side or starter |

Ingredients

• 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm rounds

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 small clove of garlic, crushed

• olive oil (for brushing)

• 1 blood orange

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 3-4 cold water

• Pinch of mixed spice

• Sea salt

• 1 tsp honey

• lemon infused olive oil (I use Belazu)

• a small handful of mint leaves

Method

• Preheat the oven grill to max setting and lightly oil a baking tray.

• Pour about 75 ml of olive oil into a small bowl, add your crushed garlic, ground coriander and a good pinch of salt. Whisk with as mall fork to combine.

• Using a pastry brush paint your aubergine rounds either side in the infused olive oil evenly dispersing the bits of garlic and spice. Arrange on your oiled baking sheet and cook under the grill for about 6 minutes either side.

• To prepare the blood oranges slice the top and base so that you have a flat bottom and work your way around the oranges to remove the peel and as much of the pith as you can. Turn the skinless fruit on its side and slice into thin rounds.

• To make the tahini milk combine the tahini, 3 tbsp water, mixed spice, a good grind of sea salt and honey in a small bowl and whisk together using a fork until smooth and milky. If it is still a little think add more water.

• Drizzle your tahini onto a serving plate (or plates if serving individually) arrange your aubergine slices and blood orange and drizzle a generous amount of lemon infused olive oil and throw over another pinch of sea salt. Finish with a few mint leaves and serve.