I made a load of these wee snacks for a party at our house. There was loads of other food too, but a few people really liked the aubergine things. 'What are they called?' they asked. I didn't know. Suggestions started flying around, one of which was 'aubergine toast'. The guys who really liked the aubergine snacks really liked the whisky too and at some point in the evening someone thought it would be funny to raise a glass to the aubergines and asked us all to join in the 'aubergine toast'. After that, the name stuck.
It's not really toast, but I can't think of anything better to call it. Read on and see if you can think of a better name. This is a good recipe to include in a buffet dinner, as the toasts can be served hot or cold and make good 'finger food'. They might also be good for picnics.
Ingredients
About 400g of aubergines
1 baton type loaf of bread
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
A pinch of red chilli powder
A few sprigs of fresh herbs (e.g. coriander, basil or parsley)
Salt
Boil the whole aubergines for fifteen minutes then drain and rinse in cold water. Leave them to cool while you prepare the bread. Cut the loaf into 5 cm lengths and use a blunt tipped knife to scrape a depression in one end so that you have a little 'bread cup' (Maybe that would be a good name? 'Aubergine bread cups'). Keep the breadcrumbs for making the filling. Put the bread cups into a warm oven for about twenty minutes.
Cut the stalk ends off the aubergines and strip off the skin. Squeeze any excess water from them, chop them roughly then mash them. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped garlic. After a minute or so, add about two-thirds of the breadcrumbs and fry for a few minutes. Add the mashed aubergine, chilli and salt and mix well. Add a splash of water and cover the pan. Turn the heat down and cook the mixture for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and mix in some chopped fresh herbs.
The bread cups should be ready by this time. They should be
dry and crisp but needn't be toasted. Stuff them with the aubergine mixture
and serve hot or cold.