Nigel Slater’s recipes for hazelnut meringues with chocolate and berries, plus an aubergine confit

There is a tray of meringues quietly crisping in the oven, coffee-coloured and speckled with hazelnuts, that I will bring to the table with blackberries, a bowl of whipped cream and a jug of melted chocolate. It is not often we go for a full bells-and-whistles, sugar-and-cream dessert in this house, but the smell of new season’s nuts toasting in the kitchen on an autumn afternoon is something I find irresistible.

The hazelnuts were toasted (which doesn’t take long and yet gives a much deeper flavour) and ground, and the meringue was further enhanced by a little strong coffee added to the thick white cloud of sugar and egg at the last minute. The nuts and slightly bitter coffee go some way towards calming the excessive sweetness of the meringues. The blackberries bring a welcome tart note.

I am not one for making chutneys and winter preserves, but I do like a jar or two of a sharp pickle in the fridge, useful accompaniments to bring out with bread and cheese or to top a pork pie. This week I had a dish of aubergines puttering slowly away with a whole head of garlic, sprigs of both rosemary and thyme and a hefty dose of lemon juice.

The flesh of the aubergines softens as they take up the olive oil and lemon juice in which they have been cooking. Once cooled and packed into a storage jar they become a very useful preserve to eat with roast lamb or cold cuts or a weekend bread and cheese lunch. A soft and silky compote that will keep for a few days in the fridge. The recipe works neatly with courgettes, too.

Toasted hazelnut meringues, chocolate, cream and berries

Meringues can be capricious, choosing to crisp or not at will. I used the egg whites at cool room temperature rather than straight from the fridge, where they had been sitting since I made a batch of mayonnaise a few days ago. The meringues work best if the sugar is added in several small batches, once the egg whites are stiff and fluffy, rather than all at once. I use the beater on high speed. Once cooked and cooled, the meringues will keep for a day or two in an airtight plastic box. Makes 8-9 small meringues

hazelnuts 100g, skinned
egg whites 5
cream of tartar ½ tsp
caster sugar 250g
strong espresso coffee 2 tbsp

To finish:
double or whipping cream 250ml
70% cocoa dark chocolate 150g
blackberries 250g

You will also need a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

Using a wide, shallow pan over a low to moderate heat, toast the hazelnuts to a pale golden brown, moving them round the pan so they colour evenly. They will take a while to start to colour, then they will brown quite quickly, so keep an eye on them.

Coarsely grind them in a food processor or with a pestle and mortar, taking care not to process them to a powder. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5.

Using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until thick and stiff. Slowly mix in the sugar 1 heaped tbsp at a time and continue beating until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Pour in the espresso coffee and beat briefly.

When you remove the whisk your meringue should be able to stand in a firm peak. Fold in the toasted hazelnuts with a large, metal spoon, holding back 3 or 4 tbsp for scattering over the meringues.

Place large spoonfuls (a heaped serving spoon each) of the mixture on to the baking sheet, leaving a good couple of centimetres between the meringues. Dust lightly with the reserved toasted hazelnuts and bake for 15 minutes.

Lower the heat to 140C/gas mark 1 and bake for a further 45 minutes until crisp and pale gold.

Remove the meringues from the oven and leave to cool.

To serve, lightly whip the cream and keep chilled. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over hot water.

Place a meringue or two on each plate, press the top of each down with the back of a spoon to form a slight hollow. Fill the hollow with blackberries then add a little whipped cream and melted chocolate to each plate.

A confit of aubergines

A slow-cooked, soft-textured preserve with lemon, rosemary and garlic. This is a useful dish to put on the table with cold roast meats, although I also use them to spritz up rice bowls with curls of pickled ginger, shreds of dried nori and toasted sesame seeds. The confit needs to go into sterilised storage jars and be kept in the fridge.
Serves 4-6

aubergines 800g
lemons 2
olive oil 150ml
thyme 6 bushy sprigs
rosemary 4 bushy sprigs
garlic 1 small head
fennel seeds 1 tsp
black peppercorns 20

Wipe the aubergines, then slice them into rounds roughly 1cm thick. Squeeze the lemons and keep 2 of the empty shells. Put 150ml of the lemon juice, olive oil and 150ml of water into a wide, shallow pan to which you have a lid. Add the sliced aubergines, the lemon shells, the whole thyme and rosemary sprigs and the garlic to the pan and bring to the boil. Scatter in the fennel seeds, peppercorns and 1 tsp of salt

As the liquid comes to the boil, lower to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 40 minutes, until the aubergines are soft, taking care that the liquid doesn’t evaporate. Remove the lid, stir and turn the aubergines over, then simmer gently for a further 30 minutes or so, until completely soft. When the aubergines are tender, transfer them, together with any juices, to a sterilised airtight jar. Leave to cool and then refrigerate.

Follow Nigel on Instagram @NigelSlater

• Food
• Nigel Slater recipes
• Autumn food and drink
• Dessert
• Vegetables
• Vegetarian food and drink
• recipes

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaJ6fpLFwfo9ramink6l8cYSOp6CgnZxiwK2t056prGWimrCqvMSsZJ%2BnomK1osbEpaWurF2isrO1zaCsnqtdrLa1tIycn6ibn6GutbGMmqWdZZKav7O1xKxkqaSlqHqiuoyarJudopy2r7GMnKannpmp