Masterchef UK Professionals
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Aubergine Two Ways
Aubergine Two Ways with Tomato Fondue, Plant Based Bechamel, Mushrooms, Parsley Crumb, and Basil Pesto.
Chef patron Gemma, known for her plant-based cooking, chose aubergines combining two family recipes. She said: 'My mother is Italian and she makes aubergine with tomato and garlic. My mother-in-law is Spanish and she cooks all the inside and then makes a base for a bechamel. So I'm going to serve both today, cook in a different way.' One version was baked aubergine topped with tomato fondue and chopped parsley. The other had the aubergine scraped out, cooked separately, and folded through a plant-based bechamel with mushrooms and a parsley crumb. The judges noted: 'Aubergine is quite a bland, bitter style flavour, but when you introduce vegetable sauce, garlic, herbs, olive oil, and seasoning, it can come to life.' Served with a bread roll and baked cherry tomatoes topped with basil pesto.
Gemma. I kind of feel like I've been to a buffet and I've taken a couple of aubergines and a bread roll. For this kitchen and this level of cooking, it's not really lining up for me.' 'This aubergine with bechamel, I love it. The mushrooms I can taste and there's a lovely little crumb on top. The other aubergine is undercooked. It lacks salt, it lacks pepper, it lacks garlic, it lacks detail. I'm enjoying Spain, but I'm not enjoying Italy at the moment.' 'This is how your mother-in-law makes it and how your mom makes it. It is then down to you to elevate it, to make it something that's going to blow us away. That's what's missing for me.' In deliberation: 'Great inspiration for Gemma's aubergine dishes, but overall, it was just too basic. She has to cook again.'
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