EGGPLANT GÖZLEME WITH CHILLI & CAPSICUM SALSA

MAKES 8 / PREPARATION 60 MINUTES PLUS RESTING / COOKING 6 MINUTES (MAY NEED TO BE DONE IN BATCHES)

Simple Turkish-style stuffed flatbreads made from the pantry staples of flour, salt and oil are a favourite of mine, especially over the summer months. The dough is quick to prepare and I like to stuff them with choice ingredients or, even better, some leftovers. Sometimes I’ll add wilted spinach or other leafy greens to the basic mix. These are best cooked straight away after making, so if serving a crowd, line up a station with the filling and dough balls and let everyone roll out their own. The gözleme can be cooked in a frying pan but ensure that they are small enough to fit the pan. I prefer to do these on the hot plate of a barbecue. I like them served with this luscious salsa.

FOR THE DOUGH

250g plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil 100ml warm water semolina for sprinkling on trays

FOR THE EGGPLANT FILLING

2 eggplants

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 spring onions, sliced

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (or 1 teaspoon dried mint) 100g soft goat's feta, crumbled

Put the flour and salt in a bowl and slowly add the olive oil and water, stirring until the dough comes together roughly. Knead for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured bench, until the dough is soft and smooth. Put into an oiled bowl, cover and set aside for an hour to rest while you make the filling.

Bake, barbecue or grill the whole eggplants until very soft. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and roughly chop the flesh. Drain in a sieve to remove excess moisture. When cool, squeeze out any remaining liquid, then combine with the tomato paste, spring onions and mint.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls. On a lightly floured bench, and using a floured rolling pin, take one ball at a time and roll out the dough very thinly, ideally into a round 1mm thick. Add about 3 tablespoons filling over one half of the dough and add some of the feta. Fold the dough over the filling into a half-moon shape, pressing down gently to release any air pockets and to seal the edges (you might like to brush the edge with a smidgen of water). Put onto a tray lined with baking paper and sprinkled with semolina while you assemble the remaining breads.

Heat a barbecue hot plate, grill or frying pan over a medium-low heat and fry the breads for approximately 3 minutes, when you should see the dough blistering. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve immediately with the roasted capsicum and chilli salsa, cutting into wedges if serving a crowd.

VEGAN Either omit the feta or use a vegan cheese in its place.

CHILLI & CAPSICUM SALSA 2 red chillies

1 red capsicum 2 large tomatoes

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar ¼ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika ¼-½ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional) 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Prick the chillies with the tip of your knife and then grill or bake along with the red capsicums until tender (the chillis will cook faster than the capsicums). Cool then remove the skins and seeds.

Score a cross into the base of the tomatoes and remove the cores, then cover with boiling water for 30 seconds, plunge into iced water and when cool enough to handle, remove the skins. Scoop out the seeds, strain through a fine sieve to catch any of the tomato water and reserve.

Finely chop the chilli, capsicums and tomatoes, add vinegar, paprika, chilli flakes (if using), olive oil and enough tomato water to loosen slightly. Season to taste with salt. Ideally let the mix sit at room temperature for an hour for the flavours to mingle.