Dish in Focus: roasted eggplant at Terracotta Lamma

Focusing on food that is simple, honest and familiar, the menu is split into small and bigger plates, sides and dishes from the charcoal grill – which is where Terracotta’s underappreciated roasted eggplant sits. “This simple eggplant dish was inspired by a dish chef Corey Riches created during our time together running the kitchen at Bedu back in the day,” explains Solnik. Using aubergines imported from Australia – for better size and quality than those from Asia – Solnik halves the vegetable, wraps it in foil and roasts it in the oven for up to an hour.

“Next, we remove the foil and let the eggplant continue to steam to give it that incredibly soft texture,” he continues. The vegetable is then evenly charred over the restaurant’s signature charcoal grill, to add a slightly smoky element to the otherwise creamy dish..