Roasted aubergines with mushroom ragu

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 2 whole aubergines
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100ml red wine
• 2 small carrots
• Salt to taste
• 1 shallot /onion
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 250g button mushrooms
• 2 cans whole tomatoes
• 80g basil
• 50g butter
• 50g dried porcini mushrooms
• 15g parmesan 

Method

1.  Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water to rehydrate, leave them until they have softened.
2. Pre 2. heat an oven to 200°C.
3. Cut your aubergines into 3, 3cm thick (approximately) pieces lengthwise.
4. Place in a roasting tray and drizzle the extra virgin olive oil until they are coated on both sides and season with salt.
5. Place the aubergines in the oven for 25 minutes.
6. Roughly chop the carrots, onion and garlic.
7. Quarter the button mushrooms.
8. Add the butter and about 50ml of olive oil and heat the pan on a medium heat until the butter melts.
9. Add the button mushrooms and cook until golden brown
10. Once desired color has been achieved remove half the mushrooms from the pan and add the onion and carrots.
11. Allow the onion and carrots to soften then add the garlic and thyme.
12. Once the garlic has also softened and started to change color around the edges add the wine.
13. Once the wine has reduced add the tomatoes.
14. Strain the liquid from the dried mushrooms and add it to the pan.
15. Dice up the dried mushrooms and add to the sauce.
16. Stir and allow to reduce for around 15 minutes or until the sauce has a thickened to a consistency you like.
17. Once the desired consistency has been achieved, add half the basil.
18. Check the aubergines and flip to make sure they brown from both sides.
19. During the last 5 minutes of roasting, add the button mushrooms that were removed from the pan to the roasting dish to re heat.
20. Once the aubergines are cooked, bring them out and place one or two aubergine steaks on a plate, add the sauce to the top.
21. Add the mushrooms you placed in the tray to the top.
22. Tear up the basil and add it to the top of the sauce.
23. Grate the parmesan onto the plate.
24. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on the top and serve.

This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today, January, 2018