Ingredients
| 150ml buttermilk | |
| ½ teaspoon crushed garlic | |
| ¼ cup black quinoa | |
| ½ cup canola oil | |
| 1 teaspoon black peppercorns | |
| 1 teaspoon cumin seeds | |
| 1 teaspoon coriander seeds | |
| 1 teaspoon fennel seeds | |
| ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted, chopped | |
| 1 large eggplant | |
| 50ml good-quality extra virgin olive oil | |
| 7-8 oregano leaves |
Instructions
| 1. | Line a fine sieve with cheesecloth (or you can use a disposable dish cloth) and place over a bowl that will fit in the fridge. |
| 2. | Season the buttermilk with salt and pepper and add the garlic. |
| 3. | Pour into the lined sieve and place in the fridge overnight to strain out all the whey. |
| 4. | The following day, transfer the curds to a piping bag. |
| 5. | Boil the quinoa for 20 minutes with a pinch of salt. |
| 6. | Drain then spread out on a paper towel to dry out slightly (for best results do this the night before). |
| 7. | Bring the canola oil to a high temperature and have ready a fine sieve and a heatproof container to catch the oil. |
| 8. | Add the cooked quinoa to the hot oil and cook for 30 seconds to puff the seeds. |
| 9. | Strain the oil into the heatproof container and cool the puffed quinoa on kitchen paper. |
| 10. | Toast the black peppercorns, cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a pan until you can smell the aroma. |
| 11. | Lightly grind the seeds and peppercorns in a pestle and mortar and combine with the toasted hazelnuts and puffed quinoa. |
| 12. | Season this with salt and set aside. |
| 13. | Pierce the eggplant with a knife then put into a hot frying pan or, even better, a charcoal barbecue. |
| 14. | Keep turning the eggplant every 3-4 minutes until the eggplant is soft and cooked through (approximately 12-15 minutes). |
| 15. | Once the eggplant is completely cooked, transfer to a serving dish and split it open to reveal the steaming flesh. |
| 16. | Drizzle the eggplant with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. |
| 17. | Pipe the buttermilk curds in random spots onto the eggplant and sprinkle the hazelnut mix over the top liberally. |
| 18. | Finish with the oregano leaves. |
| 19. | If you have any of the nut mix left over, you can keep it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. |
Recipes and food styling Gareth Stewart/ Photography Tony Nyberg
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