Aubergines with honey (berenjenas con miel)

Aubergines with honey, also known as berenjenas con miel, are a simple Spanish dish served as a ración, tapa or side dish.

I have tried several ways to cook this dish including roasting in the oven and frying. I have also tried cooking the aubergine slices with and without salting, with and without flour and have experimented using molasses versus honey.

I have found it better to salt the slices before cooking. I have had good results both frying and roasting, but frying is quicker.

Typically, this dish is prepared by drizzling miel de caña (molasses) over fried aubergine slices or batons. But in my version of this popular Spanish dish I have used honey in place of molasses as it is a natural sweetener rather than a refined sugar and it is full of flavour.

For other Spanish inspired recipes you may also like to try these spinach croquettes or sautéed Swiss chard with almonds and raisins. And for other quick and easy vegetable dishes you might like to try these spicy cauliflower bites, spicy cabbage or mushrooms with blue cheese and quinoa.

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for quantities of ingredients and detailed instructions.

• Aubergine (eggplant)
• Sea salt - to draw the moisture from the aubergine.
• Olive oil - use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to cook the aubergine.
• Runny honey - use a good quality honey for maximum flavour.

How to prepare

The aubergines are first sliced and salted to remove moisture and improve flavour.

They are then drizzled with honey and then fried for a few minutes on either side until slightly golden.

If you are cooking a larger quantity you may need to cook in batches depending on the size of your pan.

To serve

Serve your aubergines with honey warm immediately after cooking.

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