I'm delighted to be presenting this amazing vegetarian recipe.
It's a beautiful dish that pulls all of the flavours together perfectly. It's one of the tastiest meals I've ever made and well worth a little bit of juggling to get all the elements together.
Ingredients
For the aubergine
- 1 medium aubergine cut into rounds, about 1/2 inch thick
- 75 g (2.6 oz) breadcrumbs
- 50 g (1.8 oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative finely grated
- 75 g (2.6 oz) flour
- 2 medium free-range eggs beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the caramelised onions
- 2 onions peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp balsamic glaze
For the cranberries
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cranberries
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For the goat's cheese
- 200 g (7.1 oz) goat's cheese (vegetarian if required) I used two 100g rinded rounds
Equipment
- Large plate
Instructions
To prepare the parmesan-crusted aubergine
- First, set up a crumbing station with three bowls.
- In the first, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper, in the second, the eggs and in the third, place the flour.
- Fill a large saucepan pan about 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil and set over a medium heat to get hot.
- Take each round of aubergine and dunk it first into flour, then the egg mix, then the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure to coat both sides of the vegetable.
- Dip back into the egg, then into the crumb again so give a double coating.
- Once each round is breaded, place it into the hot oil and fry it until each side is golden brown.
- Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on plate lined with kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil.
- When all the aubergine is cooked, place the baking tray into a low oven to keep warm while you prepare the rest of the meal.
To prepare the caramelised onions
- Sauté the onions with a bit of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat until golden brown and soft.
- As they begin to caramelise, add a couple of teaspoons full of balsamic glaze and stir.
- Leave them cooking over a low heat while you prepare the cranberries.
To prepare the cranberries
- In another saucepan, put the cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice and cinnamon over a medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries get soft and begin to pop.
- Before serving, taste and add more sugar if too bitter.
To prepare the goats cheese
- Cut the two goats cheese rounds in half through the middle to give four thinner discs, then place rind side down on a baking tray.
- Bake in a low oven for 5 minutes until just melted.
To plate up
- Put a little balsamic vinegar on a small plate, then set a round of aubergine on top.
- On this, place a spoonful of cranberries, a goat cheese slice, and top with a spoon of the onions.
Parmesan-crusted aubergine with goats cheese, cranberries and caramelised onions
This Parmesan-crusted aubergine with goats cheese, cranberries and caramelised onions is the perfect recipe for a delicious, rich starter.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 463kcal
Ingredients
For the aubergine
- 1 medium aubergine cut into rounds, about 1/2 inch thick
- 75 g (2.6 oz) breadcrumbs
- 50 g (1.8 oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative finely grated
- 75 g (2.6 oz) flour
- 2 medium free-range eggs beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the caramelised onions
- 2 onions peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp balsamic glaze
For the cranberries
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cranberries
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For the goat's cheese
- 200 g (7.1 oz) goat's cheese (vegetarian if required) I used two 100g rinded rounds
Instructions
To prepare the parmesan-crusted aubergine
- First, set up a crumbing station with three bowls.
- In the first, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper, in the second, the eggs and in the third, place the flour.
- Fill a large saucepan pan about 1/3 of the way with vegetable oil and set over a medium heat to get hot.
- Take each round of aubergine and dunk it first into flour, then the egg mix, then the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure to coat both sides of the vegetable.
- Dip back into the egg, then into the crumb again so give a double coating.
- Once each round is breaded, place it into the hot oil and fry it until each side is golden brown.
- Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on plate lined with kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil
- When all the aubergine is cooked, place the baking tray into a low oven to keep warm while you prepare the rest of the meal
To prepare the caramelised onions
- Sauté the onions with a bit of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat until golden brown and soft.
- As they begin to caramelise, add a couple of teaspoons full of balsamic vinegar and stir.
- Leave them cooking over a low heat while you prepare the cranberries.
To prepare the cranberries
- In another saucepan, put the cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice and cinnamon over a medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries get soft and begin to pop.
- Before serving, taste and add more sugar if too bitter.
To prepare the goats cheese
- Cut the two goats cheese rounds in half through the middle to give four thinner discs, then place rind side down on a baking tray.
- Bake in a low oven for 5 minutes until just melted.
To plate up
- Put a little balsamic vinegar on a small plate, then set a round of aubergine on top.
- On this, place a spoonful of cranberries, a goat cheese slice, and top with a spoon of the onions.
Notes
To make this recipe quicker and simpler to prepare, try using store-bought cranberry sauce and jarred caramelised onions. Still very tasty!
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1142mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 800IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 4mg
* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish. Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I can't wait to see your posts!
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Mammasaurus says
I love aubergines - most exciting to find a recipe with them that doesn't involve an oven too!
Claire says
That looks very tasty! I love aubergines, but always struggle for inspiring ways to cook them. Will definately give this a go :)
wobblymouse says
this looks amazing, i've never had much success with aubergine but this may just tempt me!
Midlife Singlemum says
Lookslike a real Michelin meal.