Bretonised Aubergines, Roasted Butternut and Red Lentils Stack

I am not very fond of summer in Ireland, not very fond of summer in general, that is just the way I am, don’t judge me or call me a miserable bastard. Since I have been leaving here, we’ve had two great summers; 1995 and 2006. The legend says that as the heat waves hugged and cuddled the land of Hibernia, someone, somewhere, on the Island said:” no, the summer is great, but it’s almost too hot”. A divine intervention then punished that poor soul by ruining  it for everybody else… How dare he or she said that?!? For the record your honor, it wasn’t me; I know too well how not to aggravate the natives, refraining from expressing my dislike for July and August. Last week, I decided to be more positive, tackling my cabin fever with long walks, five, nine kilometers, enjoying the wonderful nature of the midlands, butterfly hunting with my camera and rediscovering long lost smells from childhood summers. No saline breeze, no redshanks piping, just a dead dry heat with clear blue skies, thousands of flies and a few remaining chiffchaffs and swallows already thinking of heading back to the African continent…

After two hours and nearly nine kilometers later, I felt uplifted. Uplifted and very hungry; the fun times we had as kids during the summer, careless, making incredible adventures… What happened to me? Charles Baudelaire and Boris Vian had so many ways to describe the way I feel, metaphors I will spare you right now. I remembered my mother’s ratatouille but I wanted to go somewhere else… An idea started to flower, like the Valerian the Tortoisehell was feeding on…

You’ll Need:

• 1 Aubergine
• 1 whole butternut squash
• 200 g of good red lentils
• 1 organic onion
• 150 g of buckwheat flour
• 25 cl water
• Good olive oil until your heart is happy
• 1 whole garlic bulb
• 25 cl of fresh cream
• 1 bunch of mint
• 2 potatoes for side roasting
• a pinch of cumin seeds
• 1 bunch of fresh fennel
• 2 potatoes, roasted

How To?

First, you need to roast the butternut  squash with the whole bulb of garlic… Cut in half, score, and rub with good extra virgin olive oil… Peel and slice the potatoes, rub with olive oil and roast at the same time…

Start frying the lentils and onion together… With the black pepper and cumin seeds; leave the salt until the end…

The butternut squash should be ready after 20-25 minutes at 200 c in the oven, take it out and scoop the goodness in a bowl; discarding the seeds… Of course…

What you need to do now, is to get an aubergine, cut it in thick enough slices and deep in the buckwheat and salted water batter…

Get a hot pan full of olive oil at the ready and fry in olive oil with the buckwheat batter…

Stack the fried aubergine first, then the butternut squash and garlic, another slice of buckwheat aubergine, then the red lentils mix an so forth… I served it wit a fresh cream, mint, lemon and fresh fennel mix for a bit of freshness… A good whiz et voilá!

Keep Well and Eat Happy

Slán Tamall

Franck