Nº 34 · Spanish & Mediterranean · serves 4
Stuffed Aubergines with Mince and Tomato
In Spain: Berenjenas rellenas
Aubergines stuffed with mince in tomato sauce, topped with melted cheese: Andalusian home cooking that even vegetable sceptics love.
Ingredients serves 4
Tick off what you already have at home.
CarniceríaMercadonaLidl
Aisle: carnicería. Ask for 'mitad cerdo, mitad ternera'; pre-packed it is usually called 'picada mixta'.
Any supermarket
Aisle: frutería. Loose or in nets; purple garlic (ajo morado) is often the most aromatic.
Any supermarketMercado municipal
Aisle: frutería. Spanish peppers are large and fleshy; markets often sell them cheaper per kilo.
Any supermarket
Aisle: conservas. 'Tomate frito' is a sweetish cooked tomato sauce; for plain tomato use 'tomate triturado'.
MercadonaLidlMAS
Aisle: aceites. Andalusia is olive oil country: even own-brand oils are good value, often sold by the litre.
Any supermarket
Aisle: quesos. Bags are often labelled 'especial gratinar' or '4 quesos'; in the chilled cheese section.
To serve
Method
- 1
Halve the aubergines lengthways and hollow them out, leaving a 1 cm rim. Finely chop the flesh and sprinkle the shells with a little salt.
- 2
Fry the onion, pepper (optional), garlic and diced aubergine in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the mince and oregano, fry until browned and crumbly and stir in half the tomato sauce.
- 3
Spoon the rest of the sauce with 100 ml water into the bottom of the slow cooker. Fill the aubergine shells with the mince and stand them side by side in the pot.
- 4
Cook for 4–5 hours on LOW or 2–3 hours on HIGH, until the aubergine is soft when you pierce it with a fork.
- 5
Optional: Sprinkle over the cheese and breadcrumbs and let them melt with the lid on for the last 15 minutes. Want it crispy? Pop them under the oven grill for a moment.
Flavourful Cooking · slowcookerspain.com/en/recipes/stuffed-aubergines-with-mince-and-tomato/