Middle Eastern flavours
Aubergines are very popular in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. In St Kevin’s Arcade, on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd, popular Lebanese restaurant Gemmayze Street offers a menu of authentic Eastern Mediterranean dishes. Chef/owner Samir Allen reproduces the family fare he has enjoyed all his life. The dining room is comfortable and eclectic, the cocktails are original and the wines are all Lebanese.
It’s the sort of place that you need to go with at least four people to experience the menu fully, with options such as tender slow-cooked shoulder of lamb, fish with carrot dumplings in a saffron sauce, unusual vegetable dishes and traditional snacking plates of hummus, tabbouleh and baba ganoush.
Baba ganoush (also called mutabbal) is made with aubergines. They’re roasted or grilled until they collapse, then the flesh is puréed with a little tahini, plenty of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Scooped onto warm flatbread, it’s the perfect way to begin a meal and relax while you choose the other dishes.
Gemmayze Street, Shop 16, St Kevin’s Arcade, Auckland. gemmayzestreet.co.nz
Finely chop the onion and garlic, then place in a deep, heavy pan with the oil and cook until soft. Stir in the chilli, cumin, coriander, ginger and pepper, then cook for a further minute.
Add the chicken mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook over a high heat until browned, stirring often so that it does not catch on the bottom of the pan. Add the soy sauce and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, checking that it does not dry out, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, reheat the aubergines and place one or two on each plate. Spoon over the mince and top with steamed beans.
Serves 4.
Wine match: syrah.