Sichuan AubergineWe have just about reached the end of the aubergine season, so if you see any in the shops or markets, grab them quickly and make the most of these delicious native Southeast Asian berries. Yes, they are actually classified as a fruit, even though we mostly treat them as vegetables – in curries, ratatouilles, moussakas, and as in this recipe from the School of Wok, fried and baked in a spicy Sichuan sauce. The ones you find in the supermarkets are quite likely imported from overseas, so if you are lucky enough to be wandering around the Asian supermarkets then you may come across some super delicious tubular-shaped Chinese Aubergines. Of the many varieties of aubergine, the glossy, deep purple, zeppelin-like Mediterranean aubergine is probably the most familiar, but also common are the Thai pea aubergines we love to crunch in our Thai curries and the plump and ivory-coloured ‘eggplant’ as they as known in America. To counteract the miserable weather we are suffering, a warming, spicy, comforting Sichuan aubergine dish may be just the tonic you need.