French Food Friday - Aubergine timbales with goat's cheese

 

Bonjour mes belles,

I hope you are having a fabulous week.  Mine is proving stressful as French Boyfriend's birthday is coming up and I cannot decide what to make....

Hence I think a session on my yoga mat will calm me down before I continue my hunt for a "wow" type of dessert recipe.

It is aubergine season in France and I can never resist buying them, i love their shiny pourple skins and they often look too good to eat.

This recipe is perfect for us as it features one of our favourite ingredients - goats cheese.

Aubergine timbales with goat's cheese

Serves: 6

Prep:40 mins

Cook:35 mins

Ingredients

olive oil , for frying

2large aubergines , thinly sliced

1 red pepper , deseeded and finely chopped

1large courgette , yellow or green (or 1 small one of each colour), ends trimmed and finely chopped

6 shallots , halved and thinly sliced

2fat garlic cloves , chopped

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

6large vine-ripened tomatoes , quartered

2 tbsp stoned black olive

1 tbsp caper

25g bunch basil , leaves only, shredded

80g vegetarian parmesan-style cheese , 25g grated, the rest in shavings

300g goat's cheese log (chèvre), sliced into 12

For the salad

200g baby leaf spinach

6tbsp vinaigrette

50g pine nut , toasted

Method

STEP 1

Put oil in a large frying pan to cover the base, and heat. Fry the aubergine until softened, 2-3 mins . Season, then drain on paper towel. You may have to do this in batches.

STEP 2

For the filling, add 2-3 tbsp oil to the pan and fry the pepper, courgette, shallots and garlic over a high heat until they have a good colour, 3-5 mins. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook until evaporated. Add the tomatoes and season, then cook for 3 more mins stirring occasionally until the mixture is softened, but not too saucy. Remove from the heat, then mix in the olives, capers, half the shredded basil and the grated parmesan. Set aside to cool.

STEP 3

Grease the moulds and line the bases with aubergine slices to fit. Top with veg mixture, more aubergine slices (cut to fit if needed) and a slices of cheese. Repeat the layers, finishing with aubergine. Press lightly to firm. Can be covered with cling film and chilled for up to 1 day.

STEP 4

To cook and serve: heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Chilled cups will need to come to room temperature first. Place the cups on a tray, uncovered, and bake for 12-15 mins until bubbling. Allow to stand for 10 mins while you toss the spinach and remaining basil with vinaigrette and seasoning and divide between six dinner plates. Scatter over the nuts.

STEP 5

Loosen the tops of the timbales with a table knife and up-end into the centre of the salad on the plates, shaking the cups to help demould. Top with the parmesan shavings and serve.

Bon fin de semaine, Leeann x 

recipe and photo from Gordon, merci for another great recipe.