Over a selection of Maltese snacks, Gozitan restaurateur Phillip Spiteri described this dish to me. It is such an easy recipe – actually two individual spreads to be served side by side. The eggplant and onion are perfect with roasted meats and fish, or included on a platt Malti. I’m sure once you’ve made this, it will become a staple in your kitchen as it has in mine. The recipe fortifies the Maltese cooking mantra: quality ingredients and simple technique equate to greatness.
Ingredients 5
2 onions, whole, unpeeled
1 eggplant, large, whole
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 handfuls basil leaves, fresh, torn
salt, to taste
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Method 4
Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Take a short, sharp-tipped knife and stab through the skin of the , making 6 small incisions around each one. Roast on a baking tray for 20 minutes.
Now make 6 incisions around the and add to the , roasting for another 30 minutes.
Allow the vegetables to cool until you are able to handle them, then make a cut lengthways through the skins. Squeeze out the flesh into a wide bowl, and the flesh into another bowl.
Divide the and between the bowls. Season with salt and use the back of a fork to mash the soft flesh with the oil and basil. Scoop the onto a plate and the alongside. This is best served at room temperature, but can also be warmed again if desired.
