BBQed Eggplant with miso

Ingredients
6 Long thin eggplants
2 tbsp Red miso paste
2 tbsp Mayonnaise
black sesame seeds to garnish

Method
Use long thin eggplants.
Mix the miso and mayonnaise together in a bowl.
Split the eggplants lengthways, so you have the two halves.
Score the inside face of the eggplants in a large cross-hatch pattern, careful not to cut too deep or the eggplant will fall apart.
Place the eggplant, open side down on a medium BBQ grill.
Cook until slightly scorched.
Remove from the heat and spread the miso mayo mixture evenly on the now scorched eggplant surface.
Not too thin but not too thick - heavily "buttered" is fine.
Return to the grill, skin side down.
When the skin starts to blister they should be done - remove from heat.
Garnish by sprinkling lightly with the black sesame seeds.
Wait for them to cool slightly before eating.

Portuguese Custard Tarts

This is an amalgamation of several recipes and it works for me

Ingredients
3 egg yolks
115g caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
400ml milk and cream
[some use just milk, I use 60:40]
half a vanilla pod, slit and scraped
1 sheet frozen puff pastry


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
2. Lightly grease a muffin dish. The amounts here work for a six-hole and bit, generously. You might get more tarts out of the recipe.
3. Combine the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar in a saucepan and whisk until they are smooth.
4. Gradually add the milk and cream.
5. Over a medium heat, stir the mixture with a whisk.
6. Add the vanilla pod.
7. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to simmer and thicken. Don't let it get too thick.
8. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl - cover with a cartouche or cling film to stop a skin forming. It's OK if it cools a bit.
9. Oven ready?
10. Roll out the thawed pastry and cut the sheet in half. Place one half on top of the other.
11. Roll the half-sheets up into one sausage shape - start at the narrow end and cut into 1cm thick rounds.
12. On a floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll the rounds, flat side up to about 10cm diameter.
13. Shape them into little cups and press them into your prepared muffin dish.
14. Spoon the custard mixture into the pastry cups.
15. Bake for 20 or 25 minutes, or until almost cooked.
16. For the caramelised top, grill for another 3 or 4 minutes - don't them them burn too much.
17. Remove them from the oven/griller and let them cool on a cake rack.
18. When they are cool enough to handle remove them from the muffin dish.
19. Try not to eat them all in one go...

-
Here's a pic from 21 August 2010's batch

YUM!

I tried blind-baking [3mins] one of the sub-batches but found it didnt make much difference. Anyway who can wait!