Smoked Aubergine and Sweet Pepper

This Summer dish is perfect served straight away, or equally, as part of a picnic spread! Serve with couscous and some flatbreads for a real feast. The smoked aubergine has such a great flavour, the herbs and crunchy pepper make it fresh enough to be eaten, even on the hottest of days.

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Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 aubergine
1 medium, or half a large sweet pepper
100g halloumi
Generous handful of parsley (stalks too!)
Roughly 20 mint leaves
120g couscous

Olive oil 
Half a lemon

Method:

  1. Smoke the aubergine by resting it on an open flame - the ring of a gas hob works perfectly. Otherwise, smoke under a very hot grill. Rotate every couple of minutes. After around 10 minutes, it should be soft and ready to take off the heat. Leave to the side to cool slightly.

  2. Finely chop the pepper, mint and parsley. Combine in a bowl.

  3. For the halloumi, fry in a pan until golden on both sides.

  4. To make the couscous, in a bowl, pour over enough boiling water to just cover it. Cover the bowl with a plate and leave to absorb.

  5. Meanwhile, peel the skin off the aubergine, it should come away quite easily and you should be left with the soft flesh. Roughly chop the flesh and mix in with the peppers and herbs.

  6. Dress the aubergine salad with a good glug of oil, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.

  7. Serve the salad on couscous alongside the halloumi.