Smoked Aubergine Salad

Patlıcan salatası is a Turkish meze of smoked aubergine mashed with garlic, olive oil and lemon. Despite its name, it is a soft purée rather than a salad of separate leaves or vegetables. It is eaten widely across Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean, usually cold, as one of several small dishes at the start of a meal.

What it really is

Whole aubergines are charred over an open flame or under a hot grill until the skin is black and the flesh is soft and collapsed. They are cooled, the skin is peeled away, and the flesh is drained and chopped or mashed. It is then mixed with crushed garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt, and finished with chopped flat-leaf parsley. The texture is loose and creamy, with a clear smoky flavour and a sharp edge from the lemon.

The smoke is the flavour, so the aubergine must be properly charred. Cooks differ on how much garlic and lemon they use, and some make the mash smoother than others.

How it's served

• Cold or at room temperature, in a shallow dish, with a drizzle of olive oil on top.
• With bread, torn or sliced, for spreading and scooping.
• As part of a meze selection, alongside other small cold dishes.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the vegetable as aubergine, and say it is charred or smoked, so guests know what the flavour will be.
• Say the classic version is vegan, with no dairy or egg in it.
• Warn guests that the garlic is strong.
• Flag wheat if the bread served with it contains wheat.