Portion: Serves 6

Ingredients

6 medium aubergines
3 unwaxed lemons
400ml water
1 teaspoon salt
2–3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 sprig of parsley
1 sprig of lovage
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
12 smoked tomatoes + 2 tablespoons oil from the tomato smoking process (see recipe below)
60g pine nuts

To serve

1 sprig of parsley

Method

Light the barbecue. Pierce the aubergines in a few places using a cocktail stick then place them straight onto the glowing charcoal. This can even be done while the charcoal is still burning. Roast the aubergines until the skin has charred completely and the aubergine is soft inside, around 15 minutes. Place in a mixing bowl and cover with a lid or clingfilm so that they continue to steam and release some liquid.

Halve the lemons and grill them on the cut-side down until they have taken on some colour.

Peel the aubergines once they have cooled down enough to be handled without burning yourself. Try to retain as much of the brown flesh just beneath the skin as possible – this is where most of the flavour is – but ensure that all the charred skin is removed. Save the juice remaining in the mixing bowl for the broth in the next step.

Boil the water and salt in a saucepan, ensure that the salt dissolves into the water. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the garlic, parsley, lovage, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Add the leftover liquid from the aubergines and the smoked oil from the tomatoes. Cover with a lid and leave to stand for around 20 minutes. Strain the liquid.

Toast the pine nuts, either using a cast-iron pan or a sieve above the fire.

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