BAKED EGGPLANT FILLED WITH SPICED LAMB & YOGHURT

Serve as a main course with some rice and a salad of greens. These can be prepared ahead and gently warmed in a microwave to warm though. A last moment drizzle of pomegranate molasses is delicious, but if it’s missing from the pantry, a squeeze of lemon juice gives a lovely spark too.

Serves 4 (makes 4 filled half eggplant)

2 globe eggplant, halved lengthways

sea salt

black pepper

1 small onion, quartered

½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves

1 cup mint leaves, plus extra for garnish

2 Roma tomatoes

500g Torello Farm free range lamb mince

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

100g Main Ridge Dairy feta, crumbled (optional)

1 cup Greek natural yoghurt

pomegranate molasses, to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).

Score the eggplant flesh in a 1cm wide criss-cross pattern, without cutting through the skin. Arrange the eggplant cut side up on a baking tray. Drizzle the oil evenly over the flesh. Season with a sprinkle of salt and grinding of pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly golden and remove from the oven.

Meanwhile prepare the lamb filling, place the onion and herbs in a food processor and blend until finely chopped, then put into a medium bowl. Grate the tomatoes using the larger holed coarse side over the top, and discard skins. Add the lamb mince, spices, feta if using, ½ teaspoon salt and grinding of pepper.  Mix well to combine.

Using a fork, gently loosen the eggplant flesh to breakup, avoid mashing. Divide the mince mixture into four then spread over the flesh side of each baked eggplant half to cover completely. Spread the yoghurt over the top of the meat layer. Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Transfer the eggplants to serving plates and drizzle with pomegranate molasses, if using, and scatter over extra mint leaves.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond © Feb 2024