Ben de Lisi's aubergine cutlets with pesto

Ben’s recipes are all family recipes. He loves simple, clean flavours and says this dish is perfect for a quick supper or lunch, or even as a sharing plate for weekends with friends.

“American Italians retain a much stronger sense of their heritage than Italians who live in Europe. And cooking is an important way of keeping their identity. They cook Italian food in a very traditional way. My mother still makes my grandmother's dishes, and I never deviate from the way my mother cooks.

"This particular dish was always a favourite summer-on-the-beach lunch. Mom used to make it the night before and then pack it for the beach the next day!”

Aubergine Cutlets with Pesto

Serves 4-6
Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

For the aubergines:

• 4 medium aubergines, sliced 1cm  lengthways
• 100g plain flour
• 250g breadcrumbs
• 50g of grated pecorino cheese
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Vegetable oil for frying

For the pesto:

• 1 large bunch of fresh basil
• 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, zest only
• Handful of pinenuts
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 100ml olive oil

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tomato salad to serve (optional)

Method:

1. Lay the aubergine slices on a plate and sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt – this will draw out the bitter liquid from the aubergines. After about 10 minutes, wipe off the excess moisture and salt.
2. Dust each aubergine slice in flour and then set aside.
3. Mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, a pinch of salt, black pepper and the chilli flakes in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
4. Take the floured aubergine slices and dip in the beaten egg, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Deep fry in batches on a medium temperature until golden. This will take approximately 3 minutes. Then, leave the slices to rest on some paper towels. Repeat until all the cutlets are fried. If you don’t have a deep fryer you can shallow fry in a large pan over a medium heat.
6. For the pesto, place all the ingredients apart from the oil into a food processor and blitz. While still running, add the oil until the pesto takes on a drizzling consistency. You will need approx 50 to 100ml of oil.
7. Place the aubergine on a plate and drizzle over the pesto. Serve with a tomato salad.

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