Couscous-crusted aubergine, pan-fried, with an almond, chilli and scallion filling, sweet pepper concasse and spinach with chickpeas, lemon and cumin

This is the big aubergine dish on the summer menu as I write. There’s always a striking aubergine dish and they’re usually successful, but this one takes the biscuit. If poor Tamzin has to trim and roast one more aubergine we’ll lose her... oops, there she goes. I was very tempted to try and make up a new version of this recipe to disguise the fact that it gets its inside colour and a special part of its flavour from sambal oelek, a commercial Ind