This simple aubergine caviar recipe is an ideal snack to prepare in advance and have in the fridge for smearing on crusty bread or crackers. Before you worry about the price after hearing the world ‘caviar’, the name of this dish actually comes from the small black seeds in the aubergine and their appearance to the luxurious sturgeon treat. It’s 100% veggie! This aubergine caviar is every bit as tasty as the fish type, but costs a fraction of the price.
This is the latest in our series of tasty recipes that feature just 7 simple ingredients. They are all super tasty and can be made by people of any cooking ability.
If you want an extra smooth texture you could always finish the mix in the blender, but we love the chunky texture in this recipe.
Simple Aubergine Caviar Recipe: Ingredients
- Aubergines (eggplant)
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Garlic
- Onions
- Basil
- Crusty bread
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways, then start criss-crossing them with the knife. You want to cut down about half an inch. This will let the flavour of the garlic etc. permeate the aubergine whilst cooking.
Peel and slice up the garlic and onions as thin as you possibly can. Pick the thyme and rosemary leaves away from the stalks.
Place the aubergines (eggplants) onto foil and drizzle with a generous amount of oil.
Top them off with the chopped garlic, onions and herbs and wrap them up in tinfoil or parchment paper so that they can steam inside and retain all the flavour.
Pop into the oven at 160C/320F and cook for 45-60 minutes until super soft on the inside.
Be careful when opening them, as the steam will come pouring out of the packages! They should have a massive amount of flavour, with some delicious juices in the foil. Make sure to retain that.
Scrape the interior away from the rest of the skin (it will come out very easily using a spoon). You can keep the garlic, onions and herbs in the mix, but discard the skin.
What you are left with is the wonderful flavoursome inside, with some of it looking like caviar – hence the name..
Season with salt.
And a generous amount of pepper!
Use the back of a spoon to mush it all into a semi-smooth paste. You could also use a blender if you want it even smother.
Rip the basil leaves into the mixture at the very last minute.
Toast thin slices of bread or serve with croutons, crackers, or even with salad or meats.
Who needs the real thing when you can just make this simple aubergine caviar recipe?
If you likes this recipe check out our Big 7 Food Instagram account for more of the same.
