Meatless Monday: grilled eggplant/aubergine with feta, golden raisins and mint

By mm_food4me

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized aubergines/eggplants (not too bulbous)
• 3-4 Tbsp oil
• salt and black pepper
• small bunch of mint
• 4 Tbsp golden raisins
• 4 Tbsp roasted pinenuts
• 150-200 g Greek feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from nam-inami.blogspot,com

Preparation

Step 1

Rinse the eggplants and cut into 5 mm (that's half a centimetre or about 1/4th of an inch). Sprinkle some salt and place in a colander to drain (contrary to a widespread misconception, this is NOT done to get rid of any bitterness - modern eggplant varieties simply are not bitter. However, by draining some of the eggplant juices off beforehand, they immerse less oil when frying later). Put aside for about 20-30 minutes.
Pat the aubergine slices dry, then brush with oil on both sides.
Heat a heavy frying pan until very hot, then reduce heat to medium-high and fry eggplant/aubergine slices until golden brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Season with salt and pepper and place on a serving tray.
Sprinkle with crumbled feta, chopped mint leaves, golden raisins and roasted pinenuts.