Aubergine Bacon Club Verrine (or 'ALT')

Photography: Dawn Langley

I’ve often thought of the aubergine as the white elephant of the raw food world. Purple, plump and glossy, it holds so much promise but there is very little that can be done with it to ensure it is remotely palatable when consumed raw.

The practice of salting aubergines is to remove their bitterness. Though it is true that most of the bitterness is bred out of the aubergines these days, salting serves to soften them and draw out the moisture too. Please do not be tempted to omit this step as it helps the aubergine to drink up the marinade.

Think of this as the ‘BLT’ of the raw food world - the ‘ALT.’

You can serve the club verrine plain or with a simple olive oil, lemon and basil dressing.

I love a verrine. It comes from the French word ‘verre’ meaning ‘glass’. Verrines are typically layered and served in a drinking glass.

AUBERGINE BACON

INGREDIENTS

1 aubergine (eggplant)
3 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons tamari
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon mesquite (Peruvian carob)
1 ½ tablespoons water

METHOD

Thinly slice the aubergine and sprinkle with salt. Leave to sit for an hour to draw out the moisture. Rinse well to remove the salt and squeeze the aubergines to remove any excess liquid.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and immerse the sliced aubergines. Leave to marinade for 6 hours, turning occasionally.

Spread the marinated aubergine slices on a Teflex sheets and dehydrate at 115F for 24 hours. Remove from the Teflex, flip and place them directly onto the mesh screen for a further 24 hours.

‘ALT’ CLUB VERRINE

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe avocado, skinned and pitted
4 ripe tomatoes, finely diced and seeds removed
1 red pepper (bell pepper), finely diced
2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
1 few Batavia lettuce leaves

DRESSING

3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 fresh basil leaves, fine chiffonade
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Using a melon baller, create spheres from the avocado flesh, or fine dice it. Combine the avocado with the diced tomato, pepper, Batavia and shallot.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the salad.

Spoon into four glasses.

Finish with a shard of aubergine bacon in the side of the glass.