On Boxing Day, we have an Italian feast, lasagna with salads and garlic bread plus my favourite aubergine parmigiana. What I most love about this dish is that you can prepare most of it in advance and it’s great for entertaining. This iconic Italian dish is made with fried aubergine slices, layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano.

1. Overnight soak the aubergines in salted water; cut off the caliph and cut into thickish slices, about 1cm thick. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with coarse salt, cover with water and place a saucer on top to keep the aubergines submerged, place a weight on the saucer.

2. In the morning drain the aubergines, rinse and dry them with a clean cloth to squeeze the water out.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and when the oil is hot, fry the aubergines until they are slightly brown and soft.

4. Make a tomato sauce by gently frying the garlic, tomato puree, and tomatoes in some olive oil. Add the dried oregano when you add the puree or if you are using fresh basil, add that once you have taken the pan off the heat. Cook gently for a few minutes until thickened a little.

5. In a large baking dish, spread a little of the tomato sauce over the base. Top the sauce with a layer of aubergine slices, then season well. Spoon over a bit more sauce, then scatter over some mozzarella. Repeat until all gone but finish with the tomato sauce. Scatter over more mozzarella and finish the top layer with grated Parmesan. Chill for up to 24 hrs or bake straight away.

6. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake for 20 mins until the top is crisp and golden, and the tomato sauce bubbling

Buon Appetito! X