A Fragrant Supper for One

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).Wipe the eggplant, removing its leaves, and slice it lengthwise down the middle.

Score across the cut sides, going deep down into the flesh, in a lattice pattern.

This will help the heat and olive oil penetrate the eggplant.

Place the halves, cut side up, in a small baking dish or roasting pan, then drizzle generously with olive oil.

Grind over a little salt, then flip the eggplant halves over, so that their cut sides sit flat on the dish.

Put the garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled, into the dish too.

Bake until the eggplant is tender and melting, the flesh translucent with oil.

This will take a good forty-five minutes, but much will depend on the size of your eggplant, so keep an eye out.

When the eggplant is totally soft and juicy, lift it onto a plate, squeeze the soft garlic flesh from its skin, and smooth it into the eggplant.

No need to make a big deal of this, just wipe it over the flesh.

Spoon over the yogurt, dust very lightly with paprika, and scatter the mint leaves on top.

Scoop the flesh from the skin as you eat it, mashing it with the yogurt and mint.