Apero eggplant with octopus

It was the last days of summer and the first days of fall when all we wanted is to enjoy the warmth of summer caressing our skin. I had the last eggplants from a local organic grower I had been visiting all summer long. There was no grill because it disappeared with other old things that had to go, but I desperately wanted that smoky taste. So it was time to open a jar of grilled octopus and enjoy it with eggplant, smoked paprika and smoked olive oil. Day-old slices of sourdough were ideal for grilling and the perfect companion along with a glass of rose and my family.


600 g eggplant (2-3 eggplants)
1 large garlic clove, grated
30 ml smoked olive oil
1/3 tsp smoked paprika powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
a bit of freshly ground Voatsiperifery pepper* or black pepper
sea salt to taste


Heat the oven to 220°C or use a grill. Prick the eggplant all around with a fork. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until wilted. Take out and let it cool. Peel off the skin and finely chop the flesh. Mix it in a bowl with the garlic, olive oil, paprika, cumin, and pepper. Add salt to taste. Serve with grilled bread and a jar of grilled octopus.

*Voastiperifery

Grown in the Madagascar Malagasy forests, these peppers are brick red and brown and have truly unique notes of woodiness, flowers, citrus, and herbs. It might not be your first choice when choosing pepper, especially if you have used only black pepper, but once you start to add them to your food, you’ll want to use it more and more, especially with vegetables, white meat, and fish, and even 70% or higher chocolate.