Rick Stein and aubergines.......

Yes, yes!!

Sliced, brushed with olive oil and seasoning and then barbecued - well, as my SIL bbqs them

I love aubergines and tend to cook them in a glug of oil in the oven, because I think they are too rich when fried. We have them as part of a main dish or as an accompaniment at least twice a week. I am making moussaka tomorrow and I cook the aubergine in the oven, make a light meat sauce with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella instead of cheese sauce.
i am watching it too and the food in Turkey looks fabulous even though I can't stand Rick Stein.

They do absorb a lot of fat if you fry them, so, as Mamie says, they are too rich then,
Grilled, barbecued or - I haven't tried this but I will - baked in the oven.

even though I can't stand Rick Stein. Mamie

Perhaps he'd taste better baked or grilled with a cheese topping

I add aubergine to cubed sweet potato, courgette, garlic and onion. Coat in a drop of olive oil and into the oven to roast. Lovely with lasagne.

They always taste disgustingly slimy though........
I'd love to like them but the texture and taste is so off-putting, am I the only one to have eaten badly cooked aubergines ?

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/sep/25/how-to-make-perfect-baba-ganoush

Baba ganoush is a delicious dip make with aubergines, and FC s recipes are good

We roast them ,they are lovely . Also they are a topping for Melissa's.

Thanks jollyg, I have had baby ganoush in a restaurant and loved it. I have tried to find tahini to make hummous but failed until recently when I noticed a local farm shop stocks it. That's two recipes to try.

p.s. Mamie, how on earth can you dislike Rick Stein? He is lovely.

Don't slice them, cut them into cubes and fry them. Or slice them lengthwise and brush with olive oil then grill. I do like aubergines.

Melissa's what? LullyDully.

I liked the first couple of series Liz46 and use the first fish books a lot but now I always find him a bit pompous and self-absorbed.
I am always amazed that he got an English degree given how he mangles the language sometimes.

Here's what I do with aubergines - or brinjal as we used to call it in South Africa.

I blacken it whole, over the open flame of the gas hob, by standing over it and carefully turning it continuously holding the stalk. Quite relaxing. You have to keep cooking it until it is squishy and soft when poked with your finger.

Then I slice it open lengthways and either scoop out the flesh and add it to whatever dish I need it for, or I drizzle it with soya sauce and honey and eat it as is.

Yummy and no oil or fat required.

That is how we do the Catalan escalivada on the barbecue GK. We do courgettes and peppers and onions as well. Then scoop the flesh out and cover it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Yum!

They don't have much taste do they and if you fry them they soak up a huge volume of oil. I once knew an American whose signature dish was aubergines parmigano. About 100 calories a forkful. One of those cooks that urges you too eat a lot while picking themselves. Tasted nice but I don't think the aubergines were responsible for that.

Best thing I have ever had using aubergines is a southern Spanish thing - thin crispy fried slices with "miele de palma" - syrup from palm trees.

To me they don't have much taste, just texture. I've found they absorb the flavours of the things they're cooked with. A bit like soya substitute.
So I've tried them cut up in casseroles, minced meat dishes etc. They add bulk to the stews.
When in season they're so cheap here.
Someone I know makes mock chopped liver with them.

Here's a recipe - you do use oil.
kosherfood.about.com/od/vegetarianmaindishes/r/veg_chplv_egplt.htm

I think they have a lovely flavour, but best when they are from our own garden. I think they are not so good if they are bigger, older and have travelled too far. We started growing them when we lived in Yorkshire forty years ago, but they are easier here and this year was very goid. I would never fry them though, always do them in the oven with a bit of oil.
We have aubergine parmigiano all the time - a big low-carb favourite!

Must go and start my moussaka (whilst waiting for my new Ikea sofa to arrive.....)

Sorry moussaka. HJJ...I do find the kindle so helpful when it corrects my spelling for me.

As a side dish to an Indian meal, put spices (cayenne, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and whatever you fancy) in a plastic bag and mix them up. Then add sliced aubergine and shake it all up to coat them with the spices. Heat oil - I prefer rape seed - until smoking and fry aubergine slices until gloden and crisp.

Yes course they absorb flavours - they have the absorbent quality of a sponge.
Mamie are you on the Atkins diet?

No absolutely not Jess. Low-carb with masses of fruit, veg and good fats for two years now. Worked a treat.
Anno I do that, but in the oven. I have got lots of those brown Spanish earthenware dishes and I stick the aubergine in the spice mix for a few hours, add a glug of oil and cook in the oven.