Jono & Jules do food & wine

I think Jamie’s Italy might be our favourite Jamie book – it’s without a doubt the one we’ve cooked the most out of. This is a super way to use up aubergines which are bang in season at the moment. Jamie says this is a side dish but we served it as a main with some garlic bread and next time we’ll serve a green salad too. The revelation for us was to barbecue (or grill) the aubergines to avoid the oiliness you so often get with this dish.

Jamie’s Aubergine Parmigiana – to serve 6 as a side dish or 4 as a main

• 3 large firm aubergines
• olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
• 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
• 2 x 400g tins of good-quality plum tomatoes
• a little wine vinegar
• a large handful of basil
• 4 large handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 handfuls of dried breadcrumbs (we used Panko)
• a little fresh oregano, leaves chopped
• 1 x 150g ball of buffalo mozzarella

Meanwhile, barbecue the aubergines until lightly charred, in batches. When the tomato sauce is reduced, season it carefully with salt, pepper and a tiny bit of wine vinegar, and add the basil.

Put a small layer of tomato sauce is an earthenware dish, then a thin scattering of Parmesan, followed by a single layer of aubergines. Repeat until the ingredients are used, finishing with a little sauce and a good sprinkle of Parmesan. Tear the mozzarella over the top and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Bake the dish at 190°C/375°F/gas 5 for half an hour until golden and bubbling.

Nice!

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Italy published by Penguin Group, 2005)

Wine suggestion: a great way to match food and wine is to look at where the food comes from … in this case Northern Italy so a nice Barbera d’Asti would work a treat.