Eggplant Tarte Tatin
⅓ cup olive oil
600g Lebanese eggplants, cut into 4cm lengths
⅓ cup (75g) caster sugar
30g unsalted butter
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 sheets frozen puff pastry
60g Persian feta, drained
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, to serve
Sea salt & black pepper
Preheat oven to 200°C Fan.
Heat half the oil in a 26cm heavy-based ovenproof frypan over medium heat. Season eggplants with salt and pepper and place in frypan, cut-side-down, to cover the base. Cook for 6-8 minutes until golden. Turn over, add remaining oil and cook for a further 6-8 minutes on the other side. Transfer eggplant to a plate. Add sugar into frypan and ¼ cup water. Swirl to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, swirling occasionally, until sugar caramelises and turns golden. Remove from heat and add butter and cumin seeds, stirring to combine. Return eggplants to frypan and arrange in caramel.
Press the 2 sheets of puff pastry together and roll out to make a 30cm circle. Cover the eggplants with pastry, tucking edges into the side of the frypan. Make 2 slits in the centre of the pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake on the middle shelf for 25 minutes until pastry is golden.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before carefully turning out onto a large serving plate. Crumble over feta, and top with extra black pepper and mint leaves. Cut into wedges and serve.
