Crumbed aubergine with tomato and red pepper salsa and pea shoots

This dish makes an excellent simple summer starter, although it can be a lovely accompaniment to grilled or pan-fried fish or chicken. Aubergines have a tendency to absorb a lot of oil when they’re fried – if you crumb them, they take on less, and the texture of the crunchy crumbs is a lovely contrast to the flesh inside. Pea shoots are the delicate tasty tendrils from the top of the pea plant. Known as dau miu, they have long been popular in Chinese cooking and in the cuisines of So