I chose this recipe because I love the flavours and I love beans. It’s warming and colourful and adaptable to serve in different ways. The parmesan fried eggs are really delicious. As a variation I would serve it with rice (without the egg) or on a jacket potato.
Top tip – make sure you get the aubergine quite dark but also make sure it is nice and soft. I used the hot ESSE cast iron plate to sear the aubergine to get them nice and dark to help give a smokey flavour and the oven for slow cooking the red peppers. This tenderises and sweetens them. The induction was used to cook the chilli but equally I could have used the hot plate side for that too.
Ingredients
- 2 x aubergines
- 2 onions (and 1 red onion)
- 3 red peppers
- 1 dried chipotle chilli
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 300g cherry tomatoes
- 400 g tin tomatoes
- 2 cans kidney beans
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large handfuls of spinach leaves
- 1 lime
- Olive oil
Method
- Heat the hot plate to about 2/3 capacity. Slice the aubergines into 3cm thick rounds and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sear the slices directly on the middle of the hot plate. Put the lid down to keep moisture in and cook on both sides until they are soft and browned.
- Half the red peppers and remove seeds and stalks. Place in a roasting tray with olive oil, salt and pepper and chopped garlic. Bake in the oven with vent open at 160c (ESSE dial guide middle of MOD) until soft (about an hour)
- Chop or slice the 2 white onions and cook with a little oil in a deep pan. Add the spices and the chilli. (Soak the chilli in hot water first and cut it up with a pair of scissors)
- Add the peppers, aubergines, tomatoes, beans, sugar, and vinegar. Allow to simmer gently and then check for seasoning and adjust to your taste.
- Finely slice the red onion, cover with some white vinegar and a little white sugar. Leave to soften in this pickle.
To serve; Stir the spinach into the hot chilli. Add a squeeze of lime juice to taste. Place chilli in a bowl with a grilled slice of focaccia and some of the pickled red onions.
Recipe prepared and served by Dominique Ashford at Dale House Barn and Kitchen in the Forest of Bowland, North East Lancashire. A warm welcome is offered at Dale House with delicious home cooked meals made using either the ESSE 1000 X electric range cooker or the ESSE Ironheart wood-fired cooking stove.
Dominique has trained in some of the best professional kitchens in the country under Michelin starred chefs such as the Roux brothers and Aiden Byrne. She was head pastry chef at the Houses of Parliament for 13 years and also at Sir Terence Conran’s flagship restaurant, Le Pont de la Tour. She continues to do private chef work and consultancy to restaurants, individuals and high end brands such as ESSE Stoves and Range Cookers. She now uses her skills and imagination to run cookery and baking courses, guests are in-store for a culinary treat.
