Roasting Aubergine to Full Collapse

The treatment of aubergine through fire or intense dry heat is one of the oldest cooking techniques in the Levant and Middle East — predating the tomato, predating the spice trade, fundamental to the cuisine. Ottolenghi's Jerusalem returns repeatedly to aubergine prepared to complete collapse: the interior reduced to smoky, silky, almost liquid flesh that carries any flavour introduced to it. The technique is uncompromising — half measures produce a dense, slightly bitter vegetable, not the transformation the dish requires.

Aubergine cooked under a grill, over a gas flame, or in a very high oven until the exterior is completely charred and the interior has collapsed entirely — soft, smoky, and almost pudding-like. The char is not incidental; it contributes a smokiness that permeates the flesh and defines the dish.

• Turkish patlıcan (aubergine prepared identically — charred whole, collapsed, smoky), Greek melitzanosalata (same technique), Indian baingan bharta (charred aubergine — same collapse technique, differe

Collapsed charred aubergine asks for acid (lemon, pomegranate molasses), fat (tahini, olive oil), and salt — its flavour is smoke and sweetness, and it absorbs seasoning completely. It is one of the most flavour-receptive ingredients in the kitchen once properly prepared. Properly seasoned it becomes complex; under-seasoned it disappears.