Steak sandwich

Make your eggplant pickle in advance, or swap it out for a pickle or chutney you have on-hand, makes this a very easy meal to put together in no time. It's also just the thing to eat after unpacking the car and settling into your holiday.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Olive oil
4	Fillet steaks, 150g scotch fillet steaks, each about 2.5cm thick. (Main)
1 loaf	Sourdough bread, cut into 8 thick slices
8 Tbsp	Mayonnaise
8	Lettuce leaves, washed and dried

Eggplant pickle

1	Eggplant, medium
½ cup	Extra virgin olive oil
3	Garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ cup	Chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, sweet marjoram, parsley or basil
1 ½ Tbsp	Balsamic vinegar, use up to 2 Tbsp
1	Red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Rub half the olive oil into the steaks and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat a large frying pan or barbecue grill over a high heat. Cook the steaks for 4-5 minutes, turning once. Remove steaks to a plate, loosely cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
3. Brush remaining olive oil over the bread slices and chargrill on the barbecue, or you could toast the bread slices or pan-fry until lightly golden and slightly crispy on both sides.
4. To assemble, spread the toasted bread slices with mayonnaise. Top 4 bread slices with lettuce, the cooked steaks, eggplant pickle and top with the remaining bread slices.

Eggplant pickle

1. Heat a chargrill pan or your barbecue to a medium-high heat.
2. Cut the eggplant into 1cm thick slices, then cut the slice in half. Brush slices with about ¼ cup of the measured oil.
3. Grill eggplant slices until soft, for about 5 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool a little.
4. Scatter over the garlic and chopped herbs. Mix the balsamic vinegar with the remaining oil and pour over. Season to taste and leave to cool.
5. Pack the cooled eggplant into a sterilised jar and seal. Can be eaten straight away or keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks.