Zucchini with Aubergine cream
This recipe is a vegan interpretation of the classic Piemontese «Vitello Tonnato». I replaced the thinly sliced veal meat with zucchini and the tuna in the sauce with aubergine. To retain the texture of the traditional dish, I baked the thin zucchini slices and the aubergines – eggplants as they called in other parts of the world. The aubergines are baked until very soft and then made into a puree.
Ingredients | Serves 4
|
3
|
medium size aubergines/eggplants |
| 4 |
small zucchinis
|
| 1 |
medium red onion
|
|
2 cloves
|
garlic
|
|
2
|
limes
|
| 6 Tbsp |
small capers
|
| 2 Tbsp |
Tahini sauce
|
| generous amount of olive oil | |
| Salt, pepper, and paprika for seasoning |
Preparation
- Half the aubergines and cut crosswise into the flesh without cutting through to the skin. Mix some olive oil and salt and paprika and brush generously over the flesh, making sure that the mix gets into the cuts.
- Heat the oven to 220° C and bake the aubergines for 40 minutes.
- Wash and slice the zucchini lengthwise. Lay the slices on a baking tray covered with parchment. Brush the slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake the zucchini after removing the aubergines from the oven for 15-20 minutes – depending on the thickness of the slices. Remove the tray from the oven when the slices have slightly browned.
- Scrape out the baked aubergine flesh from the skin. It should be very soft and smooth. Crush or finely chop the garlic and dice the onion. Put all into a blender and add the Tahini sauce and two tablespoons of the capers. Blend all until you have a smooth, creamy paste. If the mix is too thick, add a drop of water to achieve the right consistency — season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serving | Layer the zucchini onto the plates and spoon the aubergine cream over them. Add the remaining capers on top, drizzle a little olive oil and serve with a lime wedge.
