Baba ganoush

Place the aubergine directly over an open flame on your gas stove or barbecue – you can also use a grill preheated to its highest setting. Leave to char, turning every 5 minutes with metal tongs so that the skin is completely blackened and the insides have collapsed and become soft. This will take around 20 minutes

Place the blackened aubergines into a colander in the sink and gently press to drain any remaining liquid. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin off and discard. Place the aubergine flesh back into the clean colander and squeeze out as much liquid as you can

Add the aubergine flesh to a blender along with the garlic, tahini (if using) and oil. Blend to a paste or briefly pulse to create a chunkier texture if preferred

Taste and season with salt and lemon juice

Finely chop the herbs and fold through, leaving a pinch to sprinkle on top. Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and serve with flatbreads or as part of a mezze platter