Our recent month in Spain was less of a holiday and more of a race to get through a list of household chores and maintenance, family visits and dealing with banks, bills and bureaucracy. Still, it had to be done, and there were of course a few special times of relaxation and fun with family and friends. Sometimes, though, it was nice just to have a couple of hours at our little cortijo (that’s a house in the country in Spain) and relax with a meal and a bottle of wine.
The weather was all rather unpredictable going from an initial 40 degrees which knocked us sideways, to down below 20 degrees. Then it jumped around from lovely to grey and cloudy, rainy and windy, then back to lovely. Honestly, we could have been in England! When we did have a comfortably warm day, we fired up the barbecue and cooked and ate outside. Some days we ate meat, but after a few weeks of a meat heavy diet, we craved vegetables. Luckily we were gifted an awful lot of salad so made a local gazpacho. Sounds weird but it works, trust me!
Big Man is not a fan of aubergines, but he did give this dish a go and grudgingly agreed that it was “comestible” – that’s Spanish for edible! Luckily we also had salmorejo (another variation of the more traditional gazpacho) my very favourite summer soup, to save him from fading away and I feasted on most of the absolutely delicious aubergine.
Ingredients (to serve 2 as a main course)
- 1 large aubergine sliced into ½ cm slices lengthways and brushed lightly with olive oil on both sides
- Some salsa verde (Spanish style) or just make up a mix of fresh olive oil with some finely chopped garlic, herbs and a pinch of salt
- A large tomato, finely chopped
- A finely chopped chilli (optional)
Fire up the barbecue if the weather permits or heat up a griddle pan. I never salt my aubergines as I really don’t find them bitter. Feel free to do this if you like, but don’t, of course, brush them with oil until you’ve rinsed them.
Grill lightly on both sides and drizzle over some salsa verde. Cover tightly with foil or cling film so that they sweat slightly, and absorb the dressing at they cool down. Serve at room temperature with the tomato and chilli sprinkled over. That’s it, easy eh?!
For another grilled aubergine dish, take a look here.
Chica Andaluza 
Yes, when I read the title I knew I wanted these 🙂
With the chicken,
J
They probably would taste very good eaten outside on your picnic table!
que buena pinta 😀
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Gracias, me encantan las berenjenas!
I never salt eggplants as well! I never find them bitter!
Everyone seems to be racing this year! Life can be hectic at times but a day spent in the sun with loved ones is a great way to recharge 🙂
I have never tired eggplants with salsa verde, I need to change that real soon
I think maybe I’m just to lazy to salt them! Like you though, have never had a problem with bitter ones.
Delicious! I like the tip to use cling film to make them sweat and absorb the dressing – I’ll be pinching that tip xx
Damn, should have patented it!
I love barbecued aubergines and great tip for allowing them to absorb the dressing 😉
I remember someone telling me that these days aubergines have been bred to contain less moisture and therefore salting isn’t as necessary as it used to be. I can’t back that up with any hard facts but I did read many times, that salting aubergines removes moisture and bitterness. Here’s one such example:
https://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/icooks/ask.html
Interesting article – at least it explains the reasoning. I suppose if you buy aubergines out of season or not so fresh they could be bitter, but by the time I’ve done with them they don’t seem to have any bitterness!
I suspect that if they have bred out some of the liquid content, the same may be true for bitterness… and finally I found something to back that up:
http://eol.org/pages/581188/details
Ooh – but steer clear of the wild ones (a bit like wild asparagus)!
It does make you wonder how people ever started eating some things. Imagine all the people who’ve died over the centuries tasting mushrooms, toadstools, berries, etc.
….and olives – who would have thought about soaking them?!
…and they have to be soaked for a long time!
Lovely! I also like aubergines and salmorejo a lot! Hope you’re having a nice summer 😀
Love Salmorejo – made it a lot in Spain when we grew lots and lots of tomatoes!
That dish looks so tasty and light. My hubs does not like aubergines that much either. He would say they were edible as well. Hope your transition goes well.
These men of ours just don’t know what they’re missing – oh well, more for us this way!
Exactly!
Sounds delicious. I love both aubergines and salsa verde. Bookmarked this to try. 🙂
Hope you enjoy it Aruna!
I like eggplant in things, like babaganoush and with goat cheese in a sandwich, but am not a huge fan overall. However, this recipe looks good enough to make me give them another go. I love salsa verde and I’ll bet it’s delicious on eggplant. 🙂
There seems to be a division of lovers and haters!
I would enjoy that (as would my daughter) but again The Management would behave as though I was trying to starve or poison him. Maybe it’s just a man thing?
I think it might well be a Man Thing 😉
Often have eggplant as my main meal of the day: have some ‘mean’ stuffed recipes for such. But have again learned from you: never thought of covering whilst cooling to increase flavour – rather obvious if one thinks about it: winter or not shall enjoy the ‘next experience’!!
It’s so filling and satisfying, I really enjoy it. And in winter (at least, in England when only the brave fire up the bbq) it’s just as good done on the griddle pan! Glad you liked the little tip – really helps them absorb the dressing.
Reblogged this on Foodfhonebook and commented:
Great appetizer menu item
Foodfhonebook
Purple eggplant is also delicious when boiled and then make tomato sauce . Mrs. Chica can be tried later . And Eggplant purple similar tastes like mushrooms .
I love aubergines in tomato sauce too!
At least you had amazing food to reward you for dealing with the banks etc.!
We felt we needed it!
Men! Comestible indeed, it looks delicious! 🙂 I’m glad you had a good time in Spain, hope you’ll be back there before too long. Much love xxx
Thanks Celia – at least he’s honest with me. And when he likes something a lot, he’s not stinting with his praise J
I’m sure you were very busy while on the mountain, experiencing both good and sorrowful and times. I’m sure you were happy to have been there no matter the circumstances. I would have been very happy to have eaten Big Man’s share of the eggplant. I have all the plants and herbs growing in my garden to make this dish. Love the tip…it is one of those things that you wonder why you never thought of it yourself. Thanks!
You are so right about our experience on the mountain. The best was that we got to spend time with Big Man’s mum who is nearly 90 and who has Alzheimers – but she knew him several times and that was wonderful! So glad you liked my little tip – I didn’t even think of it as a tip, it’s just something I do J
Another great idea….I have a wonderful striped aubergine in the fridge and a garden full of herbs…what am I waiting for:)
Get that bbq fired up!
Yummo! All of my favourite things on one plate 🙂
Yay – we’ll eat this when we meet one day! And then cake… which you’ll be making 😉
“Cake” as in the singular? I am disappointed in your Ms Chica! The word “FEAST!” comes to mind 😉
Feasting and fiesta-ing!!
NOW you are talking! 😉
So lovely and summery Tanya… and perfect done on the bbq!
Everything seems to taste better when cooked and eaten outdoors in the sunshine!
I am going to make this as I love aubergine! But I think I will have to eat it alone since my lumberjack son only wants hamburgers! Well hamburgers, chorizo, sausages, pork chops……… I think men must be genetically programmed for meat or something, maybe cuz they used to catch them?
I think you may have hit on something interesting there!!
This looks like such a lovely recipe but I am still unsure about whether or not I like aubergine… they have an odd texture. Maybe I need to give them the benefit of the doubt 🙂
L some folk just don’t get on with aubergines….maybe roasted and puréed?!
Ooh roasted. Good plan! 🍆
I like the fact you’ve got your Antonio Barbadillo ready to drink with those lovely looking berenjenas. Where I go in Spain every year (a little village in the Sierra de Aracena, Huelva), that’s pretty much the only white wine available, except gasolina, the rough white wine in a box, that only costs a few centímos a glass! I love salsa verde too, especially when it’s served with pescada a la plancha. I also much prefer salmorejo to gazpacho, especially with a bit of chopped jamón on top!
We now have a few more wines available where we are but we do enjoy Barbadillo (or Antonio Banderas as a pal of mine calls it)!
Sounds good to me. I’d better have Big Man’s share if he’s not too fussed 🙂
I’ll put it in a tupperware for you 😉
Where has the spanish version gone? I was using it to increase my vocabulary!!
I love an aubergine.
I got lazy L
that food makes me want to eat a lot.
Nomnom ini pasti enak bangetyy
This is fried eggplant sauce ???
It was barbecued then sauce poured over!
Thank you for cooking recipes . Once you clever creative cooking.
seems delicious of all, I liked the dishes are made from eggplant
The recipes were simple but tasty and healthy
Another great idea…. make me want to eat hehe
that makes this food very creative and nutritious. I like
hemm i think the food seen very tasty 😀