Serves 4

This elegant aubergine dish works well as a starter or a main course, and can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until required. Any soft cheese or good, fresh buffalo mozzarella can be substituted
for the goat’s cheese. To make the recipe spectacular, serve with a confit of cherry tomatoes.

75g butter
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 aubergines, cut into 1cm-thick slices (approx 12 slices per aubergine)
175g goat’s cheese, crumbled
Fresh rocket

1 In a small, heavy-based pan, melt the butter, add the cherry tomatoes and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

2 Brush a heavy cast-iron griddle with olive oil and heat until the oil is just about to smoke. Place the aubergine slices on the griddle and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely marked, then drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining aubergine slices, brushing the griddle with oil between each batch.

3 Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and lightly oil four metal rings measuring approximately 7cm in diameter. Place the rings on the baking sheet 5cm apart. Put a slice of aubergine in the base of each ring, top with some crumbled goat’s cheese and add a generous spoonful of the tomato mixture.

4 Season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Continue to fill the moulds, repeating the layers in the same way, until the mixture almost reaches the top. Finish with a slice of aubergine. Press the top down gently with the back of a spoon.

5 Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 8-10 minutes until the cheese softens and starts to melt.

6 Place the stacks on warm serving plates and garnish with the fresh rocket.

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