'SAWLT'

Salt or ‘Sawlt’ as I’ve been told I pronounce it, is such an important element to good cooking. For years seasoning food is something I have partly been nurtured to do and partly done instinctively. But as I start to learn more about cooking, and understand the effect that salt has and why it does what it does, the power that salt has to transform food becomes more and more apparent to me. Being from a science background (I studied Zoology at university. Really.) I instinctively find the science behind food interesting. Salt has the ability to make and break a dish.

Take the aubergine, pictured here in what looks like a Maldon salt advert. People often complain of it being tough and soggy and it ends up putting them off. But this is often down to the preparation. Fruits & veg tend to be high in what is called pectin, an indigestible part of the plant. This pectin will naturally soften as the fruit or veg ripens, or if you start to cook it, making it more juicy, tender and tasty. When we add salt in as well, it simply helps to speed up this process, starting to break the pectin down. It also helps to season the food from within. Salting in advance gives the salt time to work it’s way into the middle of the veg, seasoning it from the outside in (this is diffusion, you might recall this from GCSE Science!). It also means you’ll need to use less salt overall. Add to that the salt also helps draw out some of the moisture from within an aubergine (a process known as osmosis, again GCSE Science), and can prevent them becoming the soggy, squidgy version no one likes. By drawing out some of the moisture it stops the aubergine from just sucking up all of the oil once it hits the pan. Instead, it enables it to bask and gently fry in the oil, slowly melting, softening and going that irresistible golden colour.

Next time you’re cooking aubergine, slice it up, salt it all over and leave it in a colander for 20 mins. The same applies for courgettes and fresh tomatoes. They don't need much longer and you don't want to over-do it. Once the 20 mins are up, rinse, pat dry and then gently fry in some oil. Or combine with plum tomatoes, chilli flakes, olives and oregano for one of my favourite pasta sauces, my take on a classic Pasta alla Norma. Using olives and courgette flowers, nothing beats a rich, flavour-packed Italian sauce for me.

For the Aubergine, Olive & Courgette Flower sauce you'll need:

• 2 aubergines, sliced into 2cm chunks.

• 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

• A big bunch of fresh basil

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

• Around 15 black olives, sliced in half.

• Olive oil

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 400g tin of good quality Italian plum tomatoes.

• Optional 3-4 courgette flowers, roughly chopped through.

• 50 g parmean cheese grated or shaved.

• extra virgin olive oil

1. Start by covering your aubergine in salt, rubbing all over, and then place in a colander in the sink for 20 mins.

2. Have a little sip of some wine, perhaps crack open a beer, it's a nice chilled recipe this one. While you're waiting for your salt to work it's magic, sliced up your garlic.

3. Once the 20 mins is up, rinse the aubergine and then pat dry with some kitchen towel.

4. Combine your aubergine in a large mixing bowl, with 3 tbsp olive oil, the oregano and chilli flakes, as well as some salt & pepper. Mix well. Get your hands all up in there and show it some love.

5. Next heat a large, shallow pan over a medium heat. Once hot add around 2tbsp olive oil into the pan and again leave to heat up.

6. Once the oil is hot add in your aubergine. You want it all to be in one single layer so that it fries. If you have bits of aubergine on top of one another it'll just steam and you won't get the desired effect. Fry for around 8 minutes until golden and softened. If you're pan isn't big enough for all the aubergine at once (there's an innuendo in there somewhere), then do it in a couple of batches.

7. Add in your garlic and olives and fry off for 2 mins.

8. Add in the red wine vinegar and the plum tomatoes. Bring up to the boil, breaking the tomatoes up a little. Then reduce down to a gently simmer for around 15-20 mins until your have a thick, rich sauce.

9. I served mine with some fresh pasta, but feel free to use some dried spaghetti. Sticking with the theme of salt, make sure your pasta water is as salty as the Mediterranean, and there's only one way to do this - taste it.

10. If you are using the courgette flowers (we have a glut of them currently in our garden), stir them through with about 2 mins left.

11. When the pasta is cooked and the sauce is done, add the cooked pasta into your sauce (always that way around, not the other) along with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Using some tongs or spoons move the pasta around the pan quite aggressively. This creates what is called an emulsion, and helps the sauce to stick and wrap itself around the pasta. It's a gamechanger, I promise.

12. Remove from the heat and then toss in your basil leaves roughly torn up. Mix well.

13. Serve the pasta, sprinkle over the parmesan and finish with a little extra olive oil.