Helen says: “I love the way aubergines are like, ‘cook me wrong and hate me forever’ . To be fair, the aubergine did suffer as an unwilling participant in many a sad veggie kebab situ. You can see where she’s coming from. All that’s needed is to lob them on the grill, whole, then scrape out their insides. I do also love grilled strips of aubergine, but that creamy flesh, smoked and mashed with mellow garlic and billowy yoghurt will always be my number one.”

Serves: 4

Cook and assembly time: 1 hour

Prep ahead: the sultanas can be pickled up to a week ahead, and chilled

Equipment

Foil

Ingredients

neutral oil, for cooking
1 head of garlic
6 large aubergines
8 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
flaky sea salt

For the maple-pickled sultanas:

4 tablespoons maple syrup
50ml (1¾ fl oz/3½ tablespoons) sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
100ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) water
50g (1¾ oz) sultanas (golden raisins)

For the garam masala onions:

3 large onions, halved and thinly
sliced towards the root end
1 tablespoon garam masala

Ideas for dipping

If I’m serving the Advanced Player Garlic Bread [see page 120 of BBQ Days, BBQ Nights] alongside this, I’d serve something fresh like endive or chicory (Belgian endive) leaves. If not, pitta bread or toasted flatbreads work well.

Method

Put the maple syrup, vinegar, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then pour over the sultanas (golden raisins) in a heatproof bowl and let stand for 1 hour.

Heat a frying pan (skillet) over a medium-low heat and add a generous splash of oil. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, for 40 minutes, or until caramelised. Five minutes before the end of cooking time, add the garam masala and a splash of water. Cook, stirring, until the water has evaporated.

Prepare a barbecue for two-zone cooking as described on page 12, with medium heat.

Cut the very top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves and drizzle with oil. Wrap in foil and place over indirect heat.

Place the aubergines over direct heat, adding a chunk of wood (such as oak) to the coals if you wish. Close the lid and leave the vents about a quarter open. Cook for 30 minutes, turning the aubergines occasionally, until collapsed and black.

Remove the aubergines and garlic from the grill, transfer the aubergines to a bowl and cover. Allow them to steam and cool a bit, then scrape out the flesh in a bowl, avoiding the skin, with a splash of the juices.

Mash the flesh with the garlic, yoghurt and lemon juice and season with salt. Stir through the onions and sultanas and serve.

To cook indoors:

You could roast the aubergines over a flame or under a grill, and roast the garlic, but you won’t get the smokiness.

BBQ Days, BBQ Nights: 3 dip recipes to see you through warm summer nights