Moussaka of eggplant, seared sea scallops and taramasalata

This classically Greek eggplant dish gets a seafood refresh. Food Safari Water

• serves

  6

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggplant, about 8-10 cm in diameter
• Salt, for sprinkling
• 2 red capsicum
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying (or a mixture of olive oil and grapeseed oils)
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 18 large sea scallops
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 3 tsp avruga caviar
• Finely sliced chives, to garnish

Taramasalata    

• 2 cups fresh sourdough breadcrumbs  
• 50 ml lemon juice  
• 50 ml verjuice  
• 100 ml water
• 3 French shallots, finely sliced    
• ½ tsp sea salt  
• 100 g smoked mullet roe  
• 200 ml extra virgin olive oil  
• 200 ml grapeseed oil  

Tomato saltsa  

• 3 ripe Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped  
• ½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted  
• 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley  
• ½ tsp sumac  
• ½ tsp caster sugar  
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil  
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar  
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses  
• 6 tsp salmon pearls, combined with 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil  
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste  

Standing time: 2 hours

Instructions

Slice each eggplant into 4 discs about 2 cm-thick. Salt the eggplant liberally and set aside for at least 2 hours. Rinse and dry well to remove all the excess moisture.

Meanwhile, for the taramasalata, soak the breadcrumbs in the lemon juice, verjuice and water for 10 minutes. Place the soaked breadcrumbs, shallots, salt and roe into a Thermomix or high-speed blender and process on full speed for 1 minute. Gradually add both oils and process for another 1-2 minutes or until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Roast the capsicums over a direct flame until their skins blacken and blisters. Place in a bowl, cover tightly and set aside for a few minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel off and discard the blackened skin and seeds, then slice the roasted capsicum into thin strips.

For the tomato saltsa, place all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine well. Refrigerate until needed.

Heat the oil for frying in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 180˚C. Fry the eggplant until golden on both sides. Drain well on paper towel. Set aside and keep warm until needed.

Combine the caster sugar and sea salt in a bowl. Add the scallops, toss to combine and set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over high heat until very hot. Pat dry the scallops, then toss in a bowl with a little olive oil. Sear for 30 seconds on each side or until just golden. Remove and set aside.

To serve, place a slice of fried eggplant on each serving plate and top with 2 tablespoons of taramasalata. Place 3 scallops on top, then a few strips of roasted capsicum. Spoon over 2 tablespoons tomato saltsa, then serve immediately.

Maeve O'Meara is back in Food Safari Water starting 8pm, Wednesday 1 August on SBS and then you can catch-up on all episodes via SBS On Demand. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.