Scott’s Moroccan Meatball And Aubergine Bake

Good evening, it's Scott here with this week's recipe!

Lately, I've been harvesting a bumper crop of aubergines, including a variety called 'White Knight' that’s been particularly prolific. With such a bountiful harvest, I’ve been trying out all sorts of dishes, but my favourite by far this year is the one I’m sharing with you today: a Moroccan Meatball and Aubergine Bake.

This dish features succulent lamb meatballs and tender aubergine baked in a rustic tomato sauce, all topped with crumbled feta and vibrant pomegranate seeds. It’s a fantastic way to use up any homegrown tomatoes you might have. If you follow a plant-based diet, you can easily swap the lamb meatballs for plant-based alternatives or even use smoked tofu, which works beautifully in this recipe.

So, let’s not delay—let’s head to the kitchen and get cooking!

As always, you can find this recipe, along with many others, on the veggrowerpodcast.co.uk and on my Instagram, @seedtotableplot13.

This recipe serves 4 to 6 people, and here’s what you’ll need:

For the Rustic Tomato Sauce:

• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 stick of celery, diced
• 1 red chilli, halved
• 2 preserved lemons, quartered
• 1kg fresh tomatoes, chopped (skins can be left on)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ras el hanout
• 2 tsp harissa paste

For the Meatballs and Aubergine:

• 700g lamb mince
• 1 onion, diced and sweated until soft, then cooled
• 10g chopped mint
• 10g chopped coriander
• 1 tsp ras el hanout
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 250g aubergine, diced (or if using small aubergines, simply halve them)

To Garnish:

• Diced feta
• Pomegranate seeds
• Chopped coriander

Method:

1. Make the Rustic Tomato Sauce: Start by sweating the onion and celery until soft. Add the remaining ingredients, cover with a lid, and cook on a medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Then, remove the lid and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to reduce the sauce. Set aside.
2. Prepare the Meatballs: Combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Shape the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs. Heat a frying pan over high heat and sear the meatballs until they’re golden brown. Set them aside.
3. Cook the Aubergine: In the same pan, fry the aubergine pieces until they’re golden brown on the flesh side.
4. Assemble and Bake: Pour the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish, then arrange the meatballs and aubergine on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked.
5. Garnish and Serve: Once out of the oven, garnish with crumbled feta, pomegranate seeds, and chopped coriander. Serve and enjoy!

And that’s it from me this week. Happy cooking, and see you next time!