Stuffed Eggplant

I started school in the British system, with three years in Trinidad, and so I like to joke that I was bilingual before I learned my second language.  Sometimes the British words are indeed different from the American ones. When I am writing out a recipe, it is a challenge to make sure my various readers (many thanks to all five of you!) will understand the terminology and units.  (My goal is always to get you to try the recipe!) Like the units, the name I use for ingredients depends on where I first came across the recipe. Then I tend to revert to American for the method. Ride along with me!

Ingredients

2 large aubergines or eggplant (or eggplants?  What is the plural?)

6 ripe tomatoes, 4 chopped and 2 sliced

1 lb or 500g minced or ground lamb or beef (I used lamb.)

1 medium onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Sea salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

There's the recipe on my iPad! 

From Jamie’s magazine, issue 22, from an app on my iPad.

Method

Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C.

Cut your eggplant in half and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1cm or 1/2 inch edge. 

I used a grapefruit spoon. Worked like a dream. But any spoon will do. 

Drizzle the shells with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  

Place them on an oven tray and bake for 30 minutes.  (Jamie’s original recipe said, Cover with foil and bake, but somehow I missed that step and they turned out just fine.)

Meanwhile, dice the flesh, the onion and the garlic. Fry all three in the olive oil until soft.  Set aside.

Brown your meat and then stir in the herbs and cinnamon and chopped tomatoes.

Add in the eggplant mixture and cook for 10 minutes.

Fill the shells with the stuffing and top with the sliced tomatoes.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

I served this with a lovely salad of greens. 

Enjoy!