EGGPLANT & HALOUMI SKEWERS WITH TOMATO & ANCHOVY SALAD

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 15 MINUTES / COOKING 20 MINUTES If you have good-quality anchovies such as Ortiz, you can use more as they have a very smooth flavour. Cheaper anchovies are fine, but use about 20g as the flavour is bolder. If you’re not keen on anchovies, substitute with another umami-rich condiment such as fish sauce or miso paste.

FOR THE SKEWERS

2 tablespoons olive oil juice of 1 lemon 2 small eggplants 200g haloumi Combine the oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Slice each eggplant lengthwise into 4 slices and lay out on a board. Brush the cut sides of the aubergine liberally with the lemon-oil mix and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 10 minutes.

Heat the barbecue to hot and cook the eggplant slices on one cut side only for about 5 minutes or until soft.

Place the 4 end slices of the eggplants skin side down on a board. Slice the haloumi into 8 slices and place 2 on top of each eggplant end slice.

Top with the remaining eggplant slices, with the uncooked side up, and secure by threading a skewer lengthwise through each eggplant sandwich. It is very important to have the skin side facing out on the bottom, otherwise the skewer will tear through the eggplant flesh.

Brush with more of the oil mix and cook the skewers for about 3 minutes on each side.

TOMATO & ANCHOVY SALAD

400g tomatoes (I used a variety of colours) 20g-50g anchovies, finely chopped 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil handful of oregano leaves 1 large garlic clove, sliced as thinly as possible Chop the tomatoes and arrange on a plate. In a bowl, whisk together the anchovies and sherry vinegar then add the extra virgin olive oil and whisk in.

Heat the olive or sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the oregano leaves and garlic for 30 seconds until crisp and translucent (careful, they will splatter). Drain on paper towel. Cool the oil a little then pour over the salad, along with the anchovy dressing. Scatter the garlic and oregano over the tomato salad.

WINE A direct, dark, fleshy-textured Central Otago pinot, such as the Mud House Claim 431 Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015.