I made this last weekend, following the logic that something breadcrumbed is never unwelcome. It marries hot, crispy aubergine slices with a cool sweet-but-sour relish-y situation on the side.
First: relish. Warm a few glugs of olive oil in a pan. Dice a few ribs of celery and add them to the oil. Do the same with a whole red pepper. Let these relax and soften in the oil, adding salt, pepper, and some red chilli flakes. After about ten minutes, add a couple of tablespoons of raisins, and some water – you want this to cook away, but it’ll help plump up the raisins. When the water has mostly cooked away, add some roughly chopped hazelnuts and give them a minute or two to toast gently with everything else. Now, take some red wine vinegar and add a bold couple of splashes. Stir it through and give it a few minutes to calm down and for everything to make friends. Taste. You’re looking for a nice balance of the sweetness from those plump raisins and the sharp edge of the vinegar, but it shouldn’t be harsh. If I had had capers in the house, I would have chopped a few and added them here – if you try it, let me know. Adjust if needs be. Take off the heat, and finish with a little more olive oil to give it a loose, spoonable texture. Taste one more time, and pop it in a bowl – if you have time, you can chill it.
Now for the aubergines. To serve four people, take two aubergines and cut discs about the thickness of a fat thumb or a modest Sunday newspaper.
Prepare three bowls, one containing flour (seasoned aggressively with salt, pepper, and a little chilli powder if you like), one containing beaten egg, and one containing breadcrumbs – I used panko breadcrumbs but you won’t go wrong with what you have.
Take a slice of aubergine, and dip it in the flour (on both sides). Then, using your other hand, dip it in the egg. Shake off excess egg, and (back to your dry hand) press into the breadcrumbs until it’s coated all over. Repeat with all your aubergine slices.
Heat a layer of oil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add your aubergine slices and fry, flipping once. When crispy and golden all over, remove them to a cooling rack and hit them with some salt while they’re still hot. They shouldn’t need any further cooking, but if your slices are very thick you might want to finish them in the oven.
While they’re still on the rack, dust your aubergines with parmesan. Place two aubergine rounds on a small plate per person. Taste the relish one last time to make sure it’s just right, and add it in a way that feels pleasing to you. This wouldn’t be a dinner on its own (though it could be the basis of an excellent sandwich), but for us it followed a pasta course and did very nicely.