Soba Caponata

I am using the term "Caponata" loosely here for the sake of the title, although part of the recipe borrows some of caponata's characteristics. Mainly the sweet - salty contrast, and the use of the eggplant. The eggplant however is glazed with a Japanese sauce in the cooking process, and then cut in pieces to mingle with the rest. The rest are buckwheat soba noodles (my favourite), capers, and a few more things.

• Soba Noodles

Boil for 5 minutes, drain, wash well with cold water and set aside.

At this point you can store them for a few days in the fridge. When ready to use again, refresh under running water, and dip in warm water to bring to room T.

For the glaze, whisk together equal volumes of:

• Miso paste

• Sugar (ok, a bit less sugar is always a good idea!)

• Sake

and steam (using a ben-marie, I use a metallic bowl that sits on top of a pot) for about 10 minutes, until the sauce comes together and thickens to a paste. You can store this in the fridge to use later in the week.

• Eggplant

Cut in half length-wise and score with the tip of a knife diagonally, with score space max 1 cm apart. Brush well with olive oil, arrange on a tray lined with parchment paper and roast in preheated oven at 200 C for 20 minutes. Brush the flesh side with the a good amount of the glaze and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Allow to come to room T and cut bite sizes.

(You can store the eggplants before you cut them, and also enjoy them with some rice and pickled cucumber as in this recipe)

Place noodles in a bowl, top with the eggplant, and a lot of

• Capers

• Cashews, smashed

• Spring Onions, the green parts in thin slices