Todays recipe is thanks to Chrissie co-owner of one of our favourite lakeside eateries - Big Fig who you'll find in our Dine | Drink section.

Big Fig dishes are packed with flavour, made with love and ready to go. Best of all you get to fill your plate the way you want and who doesn't love to do that!

Fainted Priest/Baked Eggplant 

I used to make this stunning Greek dish at home before we started Big Fig. It’s incredibly simple but shows the magic that can happen with long slow cooking. (Legend goes a priest passed out when he tried it for the first time.)

6 eggplants

1 tbsp flaky salt

1 cup olive oil

4 onions, sliced

4 tsps crushed garlic

2 x 400g tins crushed tomatoes in juice or fresh tomatoes is you’ve got a good harvest

Handful of flat leaf parsley

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

1 cup water

Cut the stalk ends off the eggplants and peel strips of skin off lengthwise in a stripy fashion. Heat half a cup of oil in a large fry pan and brown the eggplant on all sides till golden. Leave to cool.

Heat the other half cup of olive oil in a large saucepan, and gently fry the onions for around half an hour or till soft, transparent and beginning to caramelise.

Add in the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, followed by the tomatoes, parsley, pepper & salt. Remove from heat.

Cut slits into the browned-off eggplant, keeping the ends intact. Stuff the tomato mixture into the slits and pack into a baking dish.

Pour the excess tomato mixture on top. Mix the sugar and fresh lemon juice into the cup of water and pour it underneath the eggplant.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour at 180°c.

Remove the foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes till the sauce is thick, rich and reduced.

Allergens - none