We are very fortunate that recipe writer and food stylist Fiona Ivanov shares this recipe with us. For all her recipes are very tasty and creative too! Equally attractive and original are the photos on her blogs, most of which are ‘vintage Fiona’.
Fiona is a culinary jack-of-all-trades. A real ‘food freak’, as she once described herself in a short film. She has the right foodie attitude: she is not only recipe writer, but also the co-founder of Foodcoop Amsterdam (“a sustainable do-it-yourself supermarket”, where people can buy locally grown products), chairwoman of Slow Food Amsterdam, and Food Performer who creates edible art (see http://www.beingajellybar.net)
Side dish, serves 4
Action Time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating
8 baby eggplants
7 fl oz/200 ml coconut milk (can)
3.5 fl oz/100 ml chicken stock
a few bay leaves
¼ salted lemon, washed and cut into pieces
1 tsp pink peppercorns
a few green leaves (such as nasturtium or arugula)
1. Slice the eggplants lengthwise in quarters up to the stalk, without cutting all the way through (see picture).
2. In a large pan, mix the coconut milk, chicken stock, bay leaves, lemon and pink pepper. Add the eggplants and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes, until the eggplants are tender. Taste, and if needed, add some salt and pepper. Serve the eggplants with the coconut sauce, stewed lemon and some fresh green leaves. Lovely with basmati rice.