Shawarma-spiced aubergine schnitzel
Who says pork, veal and chicken get to have all the schnitzel fun? Thick slices of aubergine get crumbed and fried in exactly the same way, with Middle Eastern shawarma spices bringing warmth and flavour. Served with pink pickled onions for acidity, plenty of herbs for freshness and still-warm flatbreads, it’s a stunning veggie main.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 2 large aubergines
- 120g of plain flour
- 2 Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker® eggs
- 180g of Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra to serve
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- vegetable oil, to fry
- 4 flatbreads, to serve
- finely chopped parsley, to serve
- mint leaves, to serve
Pickled onions
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 150ml of red wine vinegar
- 150ml of water
- 1 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Toum
- 1 garlic bulb, cloves roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 250ml of vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of cold water
Method
Begin by pickling the onions. Put the onion in a large bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients together, then pour over the onions. Cover and set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 150ml of red wine vinegar
- 150ml of water
- 1 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Top and tail each aubergine, then trim the bulbous sides to create a rectangular shape. Halve each rectangle lengthways to create 4 thick slabs in total. Season all over with salt and set aside for 20 minutes to draw out excess moisture
To make the toum, put the garlic and salt in a small blender or food processor and blitz until finely chopped. With the motor running, being to drizzle the oil in very slowly, almost drop by drop at first, allowing the mixture to emulsify and thicken. Once the sauce starts to hold, continue adding the oil in a steady stream, alternating occasionally with the lemon juice and cold water to stabilise the emulsion
- 1 garlic bulb, cloves roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 250ml of vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of cold water
Continue doing this until the toum is thick, smooth and glossy. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice to taste, then set aside in the fridge
Put the flour on a shallow plate, the beaten egg on a second and the breadcrumbs and ground spices on a third
- 120g of plain flour
- 2 Freshlay Farms Golden Yolker® eggs
- 180g of Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra to serve
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Pat the aubergine pieces dry thoroughly with kitchen paper, then dredge them in the flour, shaking off excess, then the beaten egg and finally the spiced breadcrumbs. Put the schnitzels on a tray and leave to rest for 10 minutes to set the coating
Put a large frying pan over a medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to generously coat the base. Working in batches, fry the schnitzels for 4-5 minutes on each side until deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain and season lightly with salt
- vegetable oil, to fry
To serve, warm your flatbreads and put them on the base of each plate. Top with a generous amount of toum, followed by the schnitzel. Finish with a tangle of the onions, then sprinkle over paprika, parsley and a few mint leaves
- 4 flatbreads, to serve
- finely chopped parsley, to serve
- mint leaves, to serve
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