Aubergine & Feta Recipe

Roast and Purée Aubergine

Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Prick the aubergines with a fork a few times, rub with 2 tbs olive oil and place on a baking tray. Roast for 30–40 minutes, turning once, until the skins are charred and flesh is very soft. Remove, let cool slightly, then halve and scoop the flesh into a sieve set over a bowl and let drain 10 minutes to remove excess liquid. Transfer the drained aubergine flesh to a blender and season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Purée until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.

Roast and Peel Peppers

While aubergines roast (or under the broiler), place the red peppers on a separate tray and roast until skins are blackened all over (about 20–25 minutes), turning occasionally. Transfer peppers to a bowl, cover tightly with cling film for 10 minutes to steam — this loosens the skins. Peel off skins, remove seeds and cores, roughly chop the flesh and add to a blender with 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp sherry vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Make Custard Base

In a saucepan, combine 300 ml whole milk and 250 ml cream and warm over medium heat until just below simmering (do not boil). Meanwhile, whisk together 4 egg yolks, 60 g sugar, 30 g honey and 1 tsp cornstarch in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Temper the yolks by slowly pouring about one-third of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over low–medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard coats the back of the spoon (about 6–8 minutes) and reaches about 80°C/175°F. Remove from heat. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to remove any coagulated bits.

Cool Custard

Let the strained custard cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming. Chill in the refrigerator until it is cold (at least 2 hours).

Incorporate Aubergine and Red Pepper

Once the custard is cold, divide it into two portions in bowls (roughly 60/40). Fold the cooled aubergine purée into the larger portion until fully combined and smooth. Fold the red pepper purée into the smaller portion until combined. Taste each portion and adjust seasoning carefully — aubergine portion may need a tiny pinch more salt; red pepper may need a touch more vinegar or salt.

Emulsify Feta

Crumble 100 g drained feta and pass it through a fine sieve or blitz briefly in a small blender with the 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tbs chopped dill and 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil until very smooth and spreadable. If needed, add 1–2 tbs of the chilled custard to help emulsify. Divide this smooth feta emulsion between the two custard portions — reserve about 2 tbs for marbling/garnish — and fold gently so that both aubergine and red pepper custards carry a uniform hint of feta tang. Adjust pepper to taste.

Churn

Churn each flavored custard separately in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions (typically 20–30 minutes) until reaching a soft-serve consistency. If you do not have a machine, place the mixtures in shallow containers and freeze, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes until smooth and scoopable.

Layer and Marble

In a loaf tin or small freezer-safe container, spoon alternating layers of aubergine-feta ice cream and red pepper-feta ice cream. Use the reserved 2 tbs feta emulsion to dollop over the top and swirl lightly with a skewer to create an attractive marble effect. Cover the surface with cling film (pressing it onto the surface to prevent ice crystals) and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight to firm.

To serve, remove the ice cream from the freezer for 5–10 minutes to soften slightly. Scoop into small portions suitable for a snack. Drizzle each serving with a few drops (about 1 tsp) of extra virgin olive oil, scatter toasted pine nuts if using, and garnish with micro herbs or small dill sprigs. Optionally finish with a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.