I love aubergines: on the barbecue, in baba ganoush, in pasta or filled and baked. In this recipe, vibrant aubergines are filled with spicy beef and served on a bed of couscous lightly sweetened with sultanas and ras-el-hanout.
Stuffed Aubergines
Serves 3
- 3 aubergines
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- ½ chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 200g ground beef
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tsp (plus a little more) acı biber salçası red pepper puree
- fleur de sel
- freshly ground pepper
Make a deep, wide cut in each aubergine and remove most of the flesh of the aubergine. Sprinkle with salt and lay them on a tea cloth for half an hour upside down. Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a baking dish with a little olive oil. Heat the olive oil and gently sweat the shallots and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the chili pepper and the smoked paprika powder and allow everything to cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn up the heat, add the beef and brown it in about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the acı biber salçası and salt and pepper and allow to cook for 2 more minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning. Spread the inside of the aubergines with a little of the acı biber salçası and fill them with the beef mixture. Place the aubergines in the baking dish and allow them to bake for ½ an hour. Serve with the aromatic couscous.
Couscous
- 250g couscous
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 40g sultanas
- 400ml hot water
- 2 tsps ras-el-hanout
- 25g pine nuts
- handful chopped parsley
Put the couscous in a bowl with a fitted lid (or use plastic wrap to cover the bowl). Add the oil, salt, pepper, sultanas, hot water and cover the bowl. Allow the water to absorb (10 minutes). Gently loosen the couscous with a fork. Add the ras-el-hanout and stir again with the fork. Add the pine nuts and parsley and give everything a final stir. Taste and correct the seasoning.