Japanese-Style Grilled 'n' Chilled Aubergines

I totally stole this recipe from Yo Sushi (the it's-more-authentic-London-than-authentic-Japanese sushi chain), or at least, I adapted it from Yo Sushi, because I have never asked what goes into their roasted aubergine dish - I just guessed.

I adore Yo Sushi's Blue Monday deal, where all plates off the conveyor belt are a much-reduced £2.20. You would think that the cheaper prices would mean a cheaper bill for Mrs Ribeye and me, but NOOOOOO! We just eat twice the amount. Actually, we sometimes always eat more than twice the amount.

This recipe makes a fantastic starter to any meal - not just sushi or teryaki; or a fabulous summery side dish for a barbecue lunch. Just make sure you slice the aubergines finely (half centimetre) across, until you have delicate rounds - otherwise the texture will be all wrong.

You can also serve this dish warm with my Easy Chicken Katsu Curry dish (recipe to follow very soon).

As with all side dishes and starters, you would hope and expect the cost to be low, and you'd be absolutely right. This treat is under £1 per serving.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 large firm aubergines
50ml olive oil
Pinches of salt and pepper
50ml dark soy sauce
25ml toasted sesame oil
Thumb of fresh ginger, finely grated
2 spring (salad) onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Slice the aubergines into half centimetre rounds and season them with salt and pepper. Grill them on a ridged or flat grill pan, on a moderate heat, in a single layer in the olive oil in batches until they are soft and cooked through. You are not looking to colour them too much. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and grated ginger into a dressing and liberally douse the aubergines. Sprinkle each one with the spring onions. Lay them in a single layer on a serving dish and chill. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds immediately before serving.