Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Place the aubergines on a baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 45–60 minutes until very soft, then remove from the oven and leave to cool completey. Turn the oven down to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Carefully peel off the aubergine skin, making sure you keep the flesh whole and attached to the stem. Split the aubergines in half, keeping the stalk attached and sit in a sieve to let excess liquid drain out.
To make the chilli sauce, blend the shallot and garlic in a food processor to a fine paste. Heat a large pan over a medium heat and add the shallot paste and the olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and ensuring you scrape the bottom of the pan if any of the paste sticks. Add the pepper paste to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the blended tomatoes, ketchup, pickle liquor and 250ml/9fl oz of water and turn down the heat down to low. Cook for 25–30 minutes at a gentle simmer until you have a thick sauce. Take off the heat and taste to check the seasoning – the pepper paste contains salt so it may not need any. Blend the finished sauce in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
To make the garlic yoghurt, whisk together the ingredients with a small pinch of salt. Set aside.
To prepare the crispy lavash shards, grill the lavash on a hot barbecue, griddle pan or frying pan. Once the breads have begun to colour and char, place them directly onto a rack in the oven for 5–10 minutes, flipping midway through, or until crispy. Leave to cool, then break into large shards and store in an airtight container. They will keep for about 2 weeks.
Reduce the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs into three separate dishes large enough to hold the aubergine. Season the aubergine a little on both sides with fine salt. Coat them in the flour, shaking off the excess, then into the egg and finally into the panko breadcrumbs, ensuring you push the breadcrumbs into the aubergine so they stick well. The trick to this crumbling process is to keep one hand dry and one hand wet so you don’t end up with clumps.
Fill a large frying pan halfway with the clarified butter or ghee and place over a medium-high heat. Keep a careful eye on the temperature of the ghee – check it by gently dropping a cube of bread into the fat, it should brown in around 15 seconds if the oil is at the right temperature. Once the fat is hot, carefully lower in the crumbed aubergine, ensuring you lay it away from you to avoid any splatter. Fry on one side for 1–2 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown. Turn over and fry for another 1–2 minutes on the other side. CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended. Place the fried aubergines onto a rack with a baking sheet underneath, then put in the oven to warm through whilst you make the salad.
Add the capers to the hot pan and fry until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper. Set aside until ready to serve.
For the Little Gem, dates and crispy lavash, place the chopped dates into a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and break them up so they don’t stick together. Crumble the feta into the dates, ensuring you keep some chunky pieces so it doesn’t end up too mushy. Add the leaves and herbs to the bowl.
Now it’s time to dress the salad, and I would encourage you to free-style this! As a general guideline, I like to do about 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar. Following that rough measurement, drizzle over the oil, followed by your vinegar of choice, and season well with sea salt flakes. Give it a good mix. Taste to ensure there is enough salt, oil and acid and adjust as necessary.
Add 8–10 shards of the crispy lavash to the salad, making sure you coat the shards with everything without breaking them up too much.
Take the aubergine out of the oven and season with a pinch of sea salt. Spoon the chilli sauce and garlic yoghurt on top, or serve on the side as a dip. Sprinkle over the crispy capers and serve immediately with the salad.
