Aubergine Tarte Tatin

 From the Telegraph Magazine

Ingredients

2 large aubergines

20g flaked almonds

olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1-2 green or red chillies, finely sliced

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp caster sugar

500g roll of puff pastry

pomegranate seeds (either a small pot or seeds from half a pomegranate)

½ bunch of coriander, leaves picked and chopped coarsely

½ bunch of mint, leaves picked and chopped coarsely

Method

Preheat oven to 200C (fan)

Cut ends off aubergines, peel stripes lengthways, then cut into 2.5cm slices.

In a frying pan, toast flaked almonds until golden - watch carefully! Then remove and set aside.

Add 3 tbsp olive oil to the pan and cook the aubergine for 5 mins on each side until lightly browned and soft. Add more oil for next batch until all aubergine are cooked.  Remove and set aside.

Whisk the pomegranate molasses with the vinegar, sugar, garlic and half the chilli in a small bowl.

Pour the mixture into the frying pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins.

If you have a frying pan that you can put in the oven, then replace the aubergine in this pan on top of the sticky sauce.  If not, you can use an enamel shallow pie dish 22cm in diameter. or similar. Using a spatula scrape the sticky sauce into the pie dish and then layer the aubergine slices on top.

Roll out the puff pastry and cut it slightly larger than the top of the dish.  Drape over and tuck the edges down the inside of the pan all the way round.

Prick the pastry with a fork and place in the oven for 25 mins.

While cooking make the topping - mix the pomegranate seeds with the herbs, remaining chilli and toasted flaked almonds.

When the tart is ready remove from the oven and leave to rest for 2 mins before carefully turning over onto a plate.

Sprinkle the topping over and serve!

My tarte tatin is slightly buried under the herbs, pomegranate seeds and almond topping, but the combination of textures and flavours was delicious!