Baby Aubergines

Our answer

Baby aubergines can be found in Sainsbury's, Tesco and Watrose and on their websites, plus the Ocado website. However we understand that availabilty does vary according to region so they may not be found everywhere. You could also try local greengrocers, or see if they can order some for you.

If the baby aubergines do prove to be elusive then you could try buying small aubergines and cutting them into quarters lengthways. Cook the aubergine pieces as described in the recipe. Check the aubergines after the cooking time to make sure that they are tender and cooked all the way through. If they still seem slightly undercooked in the centre then return them to the oven for an extra 4 to 5 minutes.

In the past aubergines were salted and left to stand for a short period to let the salt draw out any bitter juices. This is not necessary for baby aubergines and also shouldn't be necessary for the quartered aubergine as nowadays most of the aubergines sold in supermarkets are varieties that don't have bitter juices either.