recipe

PREPARE THE EGGPLANT SALAD

Wash the eggplant and pierce with a fork. Grill or bake until the skin is thoroughly cooked. Cooking time depends on the size of the eggplant and the cooking method. Remove the skin and cut the flesh into small cubes. Leave to rest in a colander for an hour, which will help remove any excess water.

In a bowl, place the eggplant flesh, pepper, parsley, spring onion, apple cider vinegar and lemon zest, and stir to combine. Add the salt, olive oil, lemon juice and tomato, and stir again. Drain the eggplant salad in a colander, pressing slightly to remove any excess liquids.

PREPARE THE SQUID

Remove the innards, keeping the tentacles and the bodies. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and stir. Cook the tentacles and the bodies separately, in a skillet or on the grill. Do not overcook, as this tends to dry them out.

SERVE

Place the squid tentacles and bodies on one side of the plate. On the other side, place a small baking frame which you have filled with 150 g of eggplant salad. Garnish with some mustard sprouts. Drizzle with a few drops of olive oil. Remove the baking frame.

Wine pairing – Master sommelier Konstantinos Lazarakis

This is a fairly aromatic dish, borrowing from both the sea and the vegetable garden, with the element of the grill also present. A wine of the Kidonitsa variety, characterized – as the Greek name suggests ­– by the dense aroma of quince, has both the oiliness and the body to complement roasted squid. At the same time, its character, bursting with aromas, provides for a balanced combination.