Smoked Aubergine

This is another family favourite – real comfort food. Called ‘beğendi’ in Turkish, it is an Ottoman classic designed to accompany meatballs in a tomato sauce but I have always preferred it on its own, baked in the oven. Warming and nourishing, we love it and our friends love it and, because of its smoky flavour, it pairs beautifully with many different whiskies: try Highland Park 12 or Auchentoshan if you want to enhance or contrast the smokiness, or enjoy it with the sweet, bosomy Aberlour