Eggplant Recipe with Fennel and Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar

Eggplant with Fennel and Balsamic Vinegar is my variation on a Sicilian-style eggplant dish. I didn’t have any capers and swapped out other ingredients too.

1 large eggplant (or several long thin ones)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 small onion
2 large stalks from a fennel bulb
Handful of pinenuts
Handful of cranberries
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
approx 1/2 cup water

Cut the eggplant into long thin wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and bake at 200C (fan bake) for 25-30 minutes until golden and crispy.

Finely chop the onion and place in a pan with a splash of olive oil. Cook until soft and translucent (around 5 minutes).

Finely chop the fennel stalks, reserving the fronds for garnish. Add to the onion along with the pinenuts, cranberries, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Add about 1/2 cup of water as well and then cook down until the liquid disappears.

Arrange the eggplant on a serving platter and spoon the balsamic fennel sauce over the top. Garnish with fennel fronds.

I served mine on a mash of peas and broad beans but you could use hummus instead if you preferred and serve with a salad.