Parma Ham-Wrapped Cod with Imam Bayildi
Sometimes you just need to treat yourself and this is one of all time favourite lunches for when I feel like spending a bit of extra money and a bit of extra time on myself.
Imam Bayildi is probably one of the most famous dishes from Turkey but just in case you haven't met it on your culinary travels yet it's basically aubergines stuffed with a really tasty chunky tomato sauce. It's normally served as a starter or as one of many mezze dishes as a main course but I like to serve mine as a side dish to accompany meat or fish. For a real treat, I like to serve it alongside cod, or any white fish, wrapped in parma ham - another real guilty pleasure of mine! So go on, treat yourself...
Parma Ham-Wrapped Cod with Imam Biyaldi
Serves 4
For the imam biyaldi:
2 aubergines
4 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
200g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1/2 lemon, juice only
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cod:
4 cod fillets
8 slices of parma ham
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. Place in a large roasting tray, drizzle with a little of the oil and arrange cut side up. Bake on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onions and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and cinnamon stick. Season well, cover and cook slowly over a low heat for about 20 minutes, until rich and thickened.
Remove the aubergines from the oven and using a spoon carefully scoop out the flesh, keeping the shell intact. Add the flesh to the tomato sauce and stir it in along with the chopped parsley. Remove the cinnamon stick and divide the mixture between the aubergine shells. Drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the oven for a further 30-40 minutes, under very tender.
In the meantime, wrap two slices of parma ham around each cod fillet and place onto a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. When the aubergines have 10 minutes left, turn the oven up to 200C and put the cod in. Cook for the remaining 10 minutes, season well and serve.
Imam Bayildi is probably one of the most famous dishes from Turkey but just in case you haven't met it on your culinary travels yet it's basically aubergines stuffed with a really tasty chunky tomato sauce. It's normally served as a starter or as one of many mezze dishes as a main course but I like to serve mine as a side dish to accompany meat or fish. For a real treat, I like to serve it alongside cod, or any white fish, wrapped in parma ham - another real guilty pleasure of mine! So go on, treat yourself...
Parma Ham-Wrapped Cod with Imam Biyaldi
Serves 4
For the imam biyaldi:
2 aubergines
4 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
200g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp sugar
1 small cinnamon stick
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1/2 lemon, juice only
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cod:
4 cod fillets
8 slices of parma ham
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. Place in a large roasting tray, drizzle with a little of the oil and arrange cut side up. Bake on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onions and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and cinnamon stick. Season well, cover and cook slowly over a low heat for about 20 minutes, until rich and thickened.
Remove the aubergines from the oven and using a spoon carefully scoop out the flesh, keeping the shell intact. Add the flesh to the tomato sauce and stir it in along with the chopped parsley. Remove the cinnamon stick and divide the mixture between the aubergine shells. Drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the oven for a further 30-40 minutes, under very tender.
In the meantime, wrap two slices of parma ham around each cod fillet and place onto a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. When the aubergines have 10 minutes left, turn the oven up to 200C and put the cod in. Cook for the remaining 10 minutes, season well and serve.
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