Olijo – Dessert – Fried Eggplant and Chocolate.

For xmas instead of cards I bottled and labelled little containers of olive oil to give to friends and family. Some people have said “oh wow, thanks – what do I do now?” – well before you rub it all over your body and slide down the banister, I’ll be posting up some olive oil related recipes.
It’ll be a 4 course meal – but you can of course do what you like.

Appetiser - dukkah and bread
Entrée – balsamic marinated mushroom bruschetta
Main Course - spaghetti vongole

This was probably the trickest course to come up with, a dessert made with olive oil. I’m sure there is an olive oil cake out there – but I don’t do cake. Whilst cake isn't one of the foods that freak me out - i'm still not that keen on it. Then I remembered something we made in Italy during the cooking class Emma got me for my birthday. We sort of were a bit advanced than their normal clientele; they had planned to teach us how to make gnocchi and tira misu – stuff we both know how to do. Since we were the only people there AND it was my birthday AND it was the day after i proposed the instructing chef showed us something her mum used to make for her. One of those underhanded and visiously cruel ways of making kids eat their vegetables. By mixing them with chocolate.
We’ve made it a couple of times for friends and have spun them out each time.

• Eggplant
  
• Olive oil
• Dark cooking chocolate, grated
• Flour
• salt
  

Try and use lebanese eggplants, they are more cucumber/zucchini shaped an easier to work with.
Cut the eggplant up - long ways into finger width slices and sprinkle a good coating of flour and a bit of salt (pinches of table salt) on both sides. In a pan pour a layer of olive oil and put it on a highish heat. Shake off the excess flour and Pan fry the eggplant on both sides. Don’t burn it, actually don't overdo it.

Place the eggplant on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Each person's serves needs two slices. Sprinkle the grated chocolate over the top of one slice and using another eggplant slice - make a sandwich (with the chocolate in between). The heat from the eggplant should melt the chocolate – sprinkle a touch more chocolate on top and serve. Don’t tell your fellow diners what they are eating and watch as they try and figure it out.