Chef Bryan Lee Weaver is Executive Chef at Butcher and Bee, Nashville. He says: “I always prefer to use some of the smaller heirloom varieties that grow in Tennessee, but the generic big ole’ eggplants work well for this as well. We finish them on a wood fired grill until they are very charred (like black). If the grill isn’t an option, just cook them longer in the oven.” You will have black garlic tahini and cherries over but they will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Name: Grilled aubergine, black garlic tahini and pickled cherries
Ingredients: 1 large aubergine Olive oil For the black garlic tahini 896g tahini 1 head of black garlic 70 g toasted pine nuts, plus more to serve For the pickled cherries: 250g dried cherries 240ml rice vinegar 480ml filtered water 125g sugar 60g salt 80g sambal Salt and pepper To serve: Extra virgin olive oil Chervil or tarragon Aleppo chilli flakes

1 large aubergine

Olive oil

For the black garlic tahini

896g tahini

1 head of black garlic

70 g toasted pine nuts, plus more to serve

For the pickled cherries:

250g dried cherries

240ml rice vinegar

480ml filtered water

125g sugar

60g salt

80g sambal

Salt and pepper

To serve:

Extra virgin olive oil

Chervil or tarragon

Aleppo chilli flakes