Aubergine Caviar with Fennel Grissini

Aubergine: Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the aubergine in a roasting pan and bake for about 30 minutes,
until the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft. Allow to cool a little then peel off the charred skin. Place the aubergine in a food processor with the garlic, shallots, capers, anchovies, flat-leaf parsley and olive oil. Blend until smooth and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Grissini: Place the flour, salt, yeast, caster sugar and fennel seed in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the water. Mix well to combine then tip out onto the bench and knead until smooth. Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover and place in a draught-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a sausage about 25 cm long. Drizzle the 4 tablespoons of olive oil onto a large baking sheet with a lip. Sprinkle with salt and grind over the pepper. Place the grissini on the tray, rolling to coat in the oil. Allow to sit for 20 minutes then place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 grissini