Mediterranean lamb in baked eggplant Recipe

Mediterranean lamb in baked eggplant

The secret to the success of this Middle Eastern favourite is in the slow-cooking. It’s worth the wait! - by Better Homes and Gardens

Marina Oliphant

Proudly supported by

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

• 600g lamb mince

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp chilli flakes

• 1 Tbsp dried mint

• 2 handfuls fresh breadcrumbs

• 1 egg

• 1⁄4 bunch parsley, leaves picked

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

• 4 eggplants

• 100g parmesan, grated

• 500ml chicken stock

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 40ml extra virgin olive oil

• 2 fresh bay leaves

• Extra parsley, chopped, to serve

• Steamed rice, to serve

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Heat oil in a small heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden. Set aside.
Put lamb, garlic, cinnamon, chilli, mint, breadcrumbs, egg and parsley in a food processor and season well.
Halve eggplant lengthways. Using a melon baller, scoop out about 1⁄2 the flesh to leave a cavity. Set aside.

Step 4

Marina Oliphant
Season inside each eggplant half, then spoon equal amounts of lamb mixture into each cavity. Top each half with a little cheese. Put eggplant in a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 170°C.

Step 5

Marina Oliphant
Combine stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, eggplant balls and oil. Pour mixture around eggplant, but don’t cover entirely. Add bay leaves. Cover dish with a sheet of baking paper, then with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
To serve, sprinkle parsley over eggplant halves and spoon over any sauce. Serve with rice.