roasted aubergine with oregano and pomegranate

With an excess of oregano to use up, my starting point was Greek roast lamb – I made a marinade of oregano, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper which was rubbed over the lamb the night before it was cooked.

We ate this with a side dish based on an Ottolenghi recipe – roasted aubergine with oregano and tahini. I skipped the tahini in favour of a radish tzatziki and fiddled about with the oregano marinade which is spooned over the cooked aubergine. the pomegranate was a bit of a wild card (it needed using up) but worked really well, keeping the dish light and fresh tasting.

marinated aubergine with oregano and pomegranate* (serves 4 as a side)

4 small/medium aubergines

olive oil

salt & pepper

1 red chilli, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander

2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped (i used smoked garlic)

juice of one lemon

4 tablespoons of olive oil

seeds from 1 pomegranate

preheat oven to 220ºc. trim the stalk end off the small aubergines and cut each into quarters, lengthways. half each piece and place the pieces on a large roasting tray. brush all sides with plenty of olive oil and season with salt (i used smoked salt to add extra flavour) and pepper. place the tray in the hot oven and bake for 15-18 mins until golden brown and soft inside.

in the meantime, put the red chilli, herbs, garlic, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt and ¼ of a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper into a bowl and mix well for a marinade. add the pomegranate seeds and any juice they have released.

spoon the marinade on top of the cooked aubergines and leave at room temperature for two hours before serving.

* based on an Ottolenghi recipe