The commuter cook

This is a variation on the gooey Turkish salad dish called Imam Bayeldi - which translates as "the priest fainted", presumably at the pleasure the dish gave him - and is succulent and sweet, yet hauntingly spicy and very moreish.

It is almost a meal in itself but goes with everything from baked potatoes to lamb chops or roast chicken and is good, too, eaten mezze-style with other Middle Eastern dishes such as houmus and silky-smooth, smoky moutabal, the best of all aubergine dips.

Its exact origin is unknown in a way that is often the case with popular restaurant dishes as they pass between chefs and kitchens.

I first ate it at Bibendum, then at the Blueprint Cafe. I saw it on the menu at Fifth Floor in Henry Harris's day and at Chez Bruce in Wandsworth.

The link here is that all these restaurant chefs worked in Bibendum's kitchens at the same time as Nikki Barraclough. She picked it up from someone at the Carved Angel in Devon. I urge you to try it.

Peel and chop the onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Heat half the oil in a spacious pan, stir in the onions and gently sauté until tender and pale golden. Mix in the cumin, allspice and cayenne, then add the garlic and tomatoes. Stew gently for 10 minutes and stir in the currants. Turn off the heat.

While the onions are cooking, chop the aubergines in 1cm cubes. Dip in cold water and pat dry. This is a tip from Antonio Carluccio to stop the aubergine drinking up the oil in which they're fried.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok until smoking. Tip in the aubergines and stir fry until golden all over and cooked through. This will take about 15 minutes and you may need to do it in two batches; the aubergines will flop down considerably.

Mix both sets of ingredients together in a large bowl, stir in the fresh herbs and leave to cool slightly. Taste for seasoning; you may need salt.

Toast the bread, smear with olive oil and top with the aubergines. Slice the feta over the top and flash under the grill to burnish and soften. Eat with a knife and fork.

You will need

2 large onions

3 garlic cloves

100ml olive oil, plus extra

1 heaped tsp ground cumin

1 heaped tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

2 heaped tbsp currants

3 medium aubergines

2 heaped tbsp chopped mint

2 heaped tbsp chopped coriander

6 slices of Poilane bread

200g feta cheese

salt