Aubergine Schnitzel with Goats Cheese, Date Syrup and Pickled Chillis
This is such a fun plate of food to eat and put together. For me it's the kind of dish I want to have as part of a mezze with cocktails or some mint lemonade on a sunny day. Alternatively it could be eaten on a cooler day with a hot and spicy tomato sauce or as a more substantial meal served alongside a potato salad with herbs, pickles, capers and creme fraiche. Either way I hope you enjoy this vegetable, in my opinion, in it's best form: fried.
4 portions
To note:
Goats cheese can be replaced with labneh or feta.
Other herbs like dill, parsley or coriander could be used here and some nice salad leaves would be a good addition with thinly sliced red onion →
Date syrup can be replaced with honey. If pomegranate molasses is not available, you may use some more pickle brine or lemon juice to help cut the sweetness. If you don't have any brine from the chillis, pickle or olive brine are tasty substitutes →
The schnitzel can be reheated @ 200 degrees celsius for 15 minutes, turning the aubergine halfway to get it nice and crispy again.
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Ingredients
Schnitzel
4 small aubergines 80g panko breadcrumbs 2 tbsps sesame seeds 70g all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 2 whole eggs 150g sunflower/vegetable oil sea salt
Date Syrup Dressing
60g date syrup 20g pomegranate molasses 4 tbsp pickled chilli brine *2 tbsps cooking liquid from aubergines
To Finish
125g (a log) of goats cheese 2 tbsp milk 8 pickled chillis 1 lemon bunch of mint bunch of rocket bunch of spring onion olive oil
Method
Aubergine Schnitzel with Goats Cheese, Date Syrup and Pickled Chillis
Start by burning the aubergine either on an open flame gas cooker (like I did), on a barbecue or, if neither are available to you, underneath the hottest oven grill setting. Once one side of the aubergine is collapsing, soft to touch and charred turn it and do the same on the other side. When they are cooked remove from the heat and leave to cool. Reserve any liquid that may have come from the aubergines while cooling (this is delicious and can be mixed into the date syrup later for dressing).
Carefully peel the aubergine while keeping the stalk intact. Lay the aubergine out and flatten the flesh slightly so the schnitzel will cook quickly and evenly.
In a tray or bowl mix the flour and salt together, in another crack the 2 eggs together and whisk until uniform and in another mix the panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds together. Holding onto the stalk, dunk the aubergine first into the flour, ensuring it's evenly coated, followed by the egg, followed by the breadcrumbs. The schnitzels can be layered with parchment paper in between and refrigerated like this up to a day in advance of cooking.
At this point prepare the garnishes so you will be ready to serve the schnitzel freshly fried (refer to notes for reheating). Wash and pick the mint and rocket. Slice the spring onion. Mix the date syrup dressng ingredients together. If there is any liquid from the aubergines add 2 tbsps of this into the dressing also. Cut a lemon into four, a wedge for each aubergine. Mix the log of goats cheese with the milk to loosen the mixture and make it creamy.
To an 8 inch frying pan add the sunflower oil. If the pan you are using is wider you may need to use a little more oil so that the schnitzels are at least half submerged in the oil. Get the oil hot for frying (around 170 degrees celsius). Carefully add the aubergine. The aubergine is already cooked so all you need to worry about is getting a nice even brown colour on the schnitzel. If the breadcrumbs are suddenly getting too dark turn the heat down slightly and very carefully use a wide spatula and the sloping edge of the frying pan to help turn the schnitzel over. DO NOT use a tongs or the aubergine will fall apart. When crispy and golden brown transfer the schnitzels to a tray lined with kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
Plate up the aubergines with a tablespoon of goats cheese, a generous drizzle of the date syrup dressing, the pickled chillis, herbs, a wedge of lemon to be squeezed on top and a swirl of olive oil.
