Stuffed Aubergines with Goat Cheese & Honey
Aubergine roasted until sweet and collapsing, topped with creamy goat cheese, herbs and a drizzle of honey. The combination is rich, tangy, and floral all at once. It's the south of France on a plate!
Ingredients
- 3 aubergines about 900g total
- 200 gr goat cheese
- 4 tsp honey
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprigs thyme
- salt and black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
1. Roast the aubergines
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Halve the aubergines lengthways and score the flesh in a deep crosshatch, down to about 5mm from the skin. Brush generously with olive oil and season well. Roast cut-side up for 35 to 40 minutes, until completely soft, golden and collapsing.
2. Add the goat cheese
- Break the cheese into rough pieces (or slice a log into rounds) and distribute over the aubergine halves, sitting on top of the flesh rather than mixed in. Season again and scatter over thyme leaves.
3. Bake until golden
- Return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted, turned creamy and is golden in places. Soft and warm, not browned all over.
4. Finish with honey
- Rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Drizzle each half generously with honey and scatter over a little more thyme.
5. Serve
- Serve warm with crusty bread and a green salad. The flesh should scoop easily with a spoon, the cheese melty, the honey glossy.
Notes
- Use a good honey, something floral like acacia or wildflower works brilliantly. Lavender or thyme honey adds a Provençal touch. Avoid strong-flavoured honeys like chestnut or heather; they'll overpower the delicate goat cheese.
- The aubergines must be completely soft and sweet after the first roasting - almost collapsing. If they're still firm, they won't be good. Better to roast them too long than not long enough. The flesh should be creamy, not spongy.
- Make ahead: You can roast the aubergines up to a day ahead. Keep them refrigerated, then bring to room temperature, add the cheese, and bake when needed. Add 5 minutes to the baking time if the aubergines are cold.
- Variations: Some people add a few pine nuts or walnuts on top with the cheese. A sprinkle of dried herbes de Provence works nicely too.
- Leftovers are good at room temperature the next day, though the honey won't be as glossy. If you want to reheat them, cover with foil and warm through in a 180°C oven for 10-15 minutes.