Recipe: Aubergine & Parmesan Tart

For Four.
Ingredients: 4 sheets Phyllo Pastry 12"x6" each; 2 oz melted Butter; 1 large Aubergine; 2 tablespoons Olive Oil; 4 large Anchovy Fillets; 2 medium Garlic Cloves; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley; 2 Eggs; Seasoning; a quarter of a cup of freshly grated Parmesan; 1 Duck Liver (optional).

Method:

1. Cut the Aubergine into 1 cm cubes, place in a colander and dredge with salt. Leave to sweat out their juice for about half an hour.

2. Brush the Phyllo sheets with melted Butter, and use to make individual pastry shells in four 3" false-bottomed tart tins.

3. Saute the chopped Anchovies and chopped Garlic gently in the heated oil for a couple of minutes. Add the Aubergine cubes and continue to saute for ten minutes or so, until the Aubergine flesh is quite tender. Add the chopped Parsley and stir to incorporate. Cook for one minute more, then transfer to a bowl to cool.

4. Beat Eggs in a separate bowl, and stir in the Parmesan. Fold the cooled Aubergine mixture into this, and check seasoning (add salt and pepper if necessary)

5. Fill the pastry shells with the Aubergine mixture, and bake approximately ten minutes in a pre-heated 180 degree C oven. The tarts will be done when the pastry is quite dark, and the top of the filling is starting to brown.

6. If you wish to use the Duck Liver, slice it finely and distribute the slices on top of the tarts, before grilling them briefly either using a hand blow-torch or else by standing them for a minute under a pre-heated hot grill (be careful they don't burn if you use the latter method).

Serve.