Warm aubergine and mozzarella salad

This salad is rather special with the aubergine, mozzarella and tomatoes producing a sunny Mediterranean flavour.  It deserves to be served as a course on its own – possible as a starter.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 6 Mins

Total Time: 20 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

2                    Aubergines

140 ml             Olive oil     

                     Salt          

1 tbs               Lemon juice            

1 tbs               Vinegar  - balsamic   

4                    Tomatoes   

2                    Mozzarella cheeses  - sliced thinly          

30 gms            Rocket      

6                    Anchovy fillets  - cut diagonally into 5 mm pieces    

2                    Sun-dried tomatoes  - sliced thinly         

Method

Cut the aubergines diagonally into 5 mm thick slices.  Brush them on both sides with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.  Heat a griddle pan until it is smoking hot, add the slices of aubergine a few at a time and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side.  Remove the aubergine slices and keep them warm.

Whisk together the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and 5 tsp of salt to make the dressing.

Just before serving, lay out 4 cold plates and on each one build up a natural-looking pile of salad - starting with a base of tomato, mozzarella and aubergine slices with a few rocket leaves.  Add the pieces of anchovy, sun-dried tomato and a light sprinkling of salt, then add another layer of tomato, mozzarella, aubergine, rocket and a little more salt.  Finally, sprinkle about 1-1½ tbs of olive oil over each plate and then sprinkle a teaspoon of the balsamic dressing over each salad and around the outside edge of the plates.

Wine recommendations

A light red or an aromatic white wine.

Conventional

     Beaujolais

     Côtes de Gascogne blanc, rosé or rouge

Interesting

     Menetou-Salon rouge

     Pinot Gris

     Pinot Noir Alsace