Gordon Ramsay’s aubergine caviar is smoky, creamy roasted aubergine (eggplant) scooped from the skins and chopped with rosemary, thyme and garlic. It is finished with sour cream, fresh coriander (cilantro) and lemon juice. Works as a dip, a canape spread or a side, and the whole thing takes about 45 minutes.
The base technique comes from Passion for Flavour, page 101. He calls it “almost the ideal all-round vegetable accompaniment” and pairs it with roast lamb and monkfish in the book. The Christmas video adds sour cream, coriander and lemon to turn that restaurant base into a home canape.
The step that makes or breaks it is drying the chopped flesh in a hot pan before adding anything else. Raw scooped aubergine is waterlogged, so if you skip the pan the sour cream turns it to soup. Thirty seconds on high heat drives off the moisture and concentrates the flavour.
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Gordon Ramsay’s Aubergine Caviar (Eggplant Caviar)
Course: Appetizer, SideCuisine: British, FrenchDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes40
minutes85
kcal50 minutes
Roasted aubergine dip from Ramsay’s Christmas video, built on the same base technique from Passion for Flavour page 101. Smoky, creamy and better after two days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- For the roasted aubergines (eggplants):
2 medium aubergines (eggplants)
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
4-6 sprigs fresh rosemary
4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
Rock salt
Olive oil, for drizzling
- For the finish:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
A generous spoonful of sour cream (or crème fraîche)
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Score and season: Cut each aubergine in half lengthways. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Rub the cut side of half a garlic clove all over each half.
- Stab with herbs: Break small sprigs of rosemary and use the stalks to stab one aubergine half. Do the other half with thyme. Sprinkle rock salt over both and drizzle generously with olive oil.
- Wrap in foil: Sandwich the two halves back together with the garlic tucked inside. Wrap tightly in tin foil. Repeat with the second aubergine.
- Roast: Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 35-40 minutes until the aubergines have collapsed to half their size and the flesh is completely soft.
- Scoop the flesh: Unwrap and scoop out the flesh with a spoon while still warm. Remove the herb stalks but keep the small bits of rosemary, thyme and garlic mixed through.
- Chop and dry in the pan: Chop the scooped flesh finely with a heavy knife. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over high heat and stir for about 30 seconds until the excess moisture evaporates and the pulp thickens.
- Finish: Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the chopped coriander and a generous spoonful of sour cream. Squeeze in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
- Serve or chill: Spoon into a bowl and serve with breadsticks, crostini or crudités. For best results, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The flavour improves as it sits.
Notes
- Ramsay says this canape “can be done two or three days before you actually need it, because the more in advance you do it the better the flavour.” If you cannot find sour cream, crème fraîche works the same way.
FAQs
Why is it called aubergine caviar?
The name comes from the tiny seeds inside the aubergine flesh. Ramsay points them out in the video: “that’s where the word caviar comes from because it’s like the poor man’s caviar.”
When the flesh is chopped fine, those seeds catch the light and look like little pearls. The dish has French roots, where “caviar d’aubergine” has been a bistro staple for decades. Ramsay named his first ever restaurant Aubergine after coming back from Paris, so this vegetable clearly means something to him.
How is the Passion for Flavour restaurant version different?
The cookbook version on page 101 is a stripped-back base, not a finished dip. It uses one aubergine, garlic and rosemary only, no thyme.
The oven runs hotter at 220°C (425°F) for 45 minutes, then drops to 110°C (230°F) for 20 more. He discards the garlic and rosemary after baking rather than keeping them in. No sour cream, no coriander, no lemon.
It is a pure component designed to sit under rack of lamb or alongside lamb chops for a quicker weeknight version. Mixed with fresh horseradish it becomes a starter on its own.
Can you make aubergine caviar ahead?
It is better made ahead. Ramsay says in the video to make it “two or three days before Christmas” and leave it in the fridge.
The flavour develops as the sour cream, coriander and lemon meld together overnight. It keeps well for up to 5 days covered. Bring it to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the sour cream loosens and the flavours wake up.
What do you serve aubergine caviar with?
As a Christmas canape, spread it on crostini or pile it into endive leaves. The cookbook says it pairs with roast lamb and “firm-fleshed fish such as monkfish.”
The spiced monkfish is the strongest pairing because the smoky aubergine balances the sweetness of the fish. Moroccan lamb is another strong match since the spices echo the rosemary and garlic. For something lighter, serve it alongside ratatouille and grilled bread.
Is aubergine caviar the same as baba ganoush?
They start the same way with roasted aubergine, but the finish is completely different. Baba ganoush uses tahini, which gives it a nutty, sesame heaviness.
Ramsay’s version uses sour cream and fresh coriander instead, so it stays lighter and brighter. There is no tahini, no cumin, no smoked paprika in either the cookbook or the video. Every competitor site that adds those ingredients is guessing.
