Campervan Cooking Adventures - Smoked Aubergine with Spices

Campervan Cooking Adventures - Michael from @ChefCampers 

Southern Spain in a campervan?  Don’t worry, I’m not planning on following everyone else to the coast for a full English in the Old Town of Benidorm.  We do enjoy the odd visit into the coastal towns, but the moment we see signs for English food, we quickly move on. We crave new flavours, new cultures and the wilderness.  That’s exactly what you get in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. 

Driving inland offers remote park ups. Meandering the switchback roads and into the mountains, the terrain quickly changes from tarmac to gravel. The horizons on the sea become mountainous back drops, bathed in the sun. Climb the mountains and you are rewarded with unbelievable sunsets. Inverted, above the cloud line, the sky glows orange and as the sun goes down, so do the temperatures.

Waking up in the wilderness is one of my favourite things about Vanlife. With uninterrupted views of the mountains, it’s hard to believe the City of Granada is just a short drive away. Let’s visit...

Granada gets under your skin in the best possible way. You’ve got the Sierra Nevada mountain range looming behind you with snow on the peaks, and yet down in the city the sun’s beating down, cafés spilling out onto squares, and everyone’s just getting on with life. It’s a city of extremes.  Ski slopes in the morning, cold beer in the afternoon, and a late-night crawl through narrow streets that feel like a film set.

The history here is everywhere. The Alhambra Palace sits above it all like some kind of mirage.  It’s not just architecture, it’s proof of how much influence the Moors had here. They weren’t just building castles, they were bringing ingredients, ideas, and spices that Europe hadn’t seen before. 

The weather shapes how people eat. Summers are far too hot, so you dive into shade with a cold caña and whatever free tapa the bar throws at you. Winters are surprisingly cold, sometimes snowy, but you’re never far from a hot plate of stew and a glass of something warming. Spring and autumn are the dream seasons. Warm enough to sit outside, cool enough to actually enjoy your food without melting into the pavement.

Food-wise, Granada still does something most of Spain has moved away from, free tapas with every drink. It’s never predictable. One bar will give you a slice of tortilla, the next a pile of fried aubergine with honey, then maybe a spoonful of some rich, garlicky stew. It’s not about presentation, it’s about generosity. Order another beer, get another plate, simple as that. The students live off it, the tourists can’t believe their luck, and the locals wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’m not sure which category I fall into though.

You feel the Moorish kitchen everywhere. Spices creeping into dishes where you don’t expect them, garlic treated like a religion, yoghurt cooling down the heat of peppers or the richness of lamb. And the aubergine,  that’s the hero ingredient. It soaks up flavour like nothing else, whether it’s roasted, grilled, or fried until the edges catch and caramelise. It’s the sort of vegetable you can’t help but build a dish around and in Granada, they do!

Wander into the Albaicín and it’s like stepping back a few centuries. Tight cobbled streets twisting up the hillside, whitewashed houses, and suddenly you hit a view of the Alhambra glowing gold in the evening sun. Head into Sacromonte and you’ll find caves carved into the rock, flamenco pounding out of doorways, the kind of raw energy that makes you want to stay up until sunrise. Just don’t be tempted to drive any vehicle through the tight streets, we made the mistake of ignoring the narrow road warning and then hit a 90degree left turn that could have easily left us wedged into the town forever.  

In the centre of Granada, you’ve got the cathedral and the plazas, reminders of the Catholic kings who took the city back in 1492.

What I love about Granada is that it’s not stuck in the past. The history’s there, you can’t miss it, but it’s also a living, breathing city. Students shouting across bars, old blokes arguing over dominoes, families out late with ice creams. You’re eating tapas in the shadow of the Alhambra Palace and it feels completely normal!

Smoked Aubergine with Granada Spices

 

Ingredients

(serves 2 hungry people)

2 large aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional, to taste)
250 g thick natural yoghurt (Greek style works best)
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp runny honey
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1. Smoke & roast the aubergine

Light your campfire and let the flames die down.
Start slowly roasting and smoking your aubergines for around 20-30 minutes

2. Granada spice rub

Mix cumin, smoked paprika, and chilli flakes with the butter and oil and gently warm them in a small pan over the camp fire.
Cut open the Aubergine and start basting it regularly for around 20 minutes

3. Garlic lemon yoghurt

Stir yoghurt with grated garlic, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Chill until ready to serve.

4. Honey spiced drizzle

Gently warm honey with cinnamon in a small pan until loosened and fragrant. Set aside.


5. To serve

Spoon the garlic yoghurt generously over the aubergines.

Drizzle with the spiced honey.

Finish with fresh herbs and a crack of black pepper!