Roasted Eggplant cooked in Tomatoe and Herb Sauce
This dish is an easy main course for a vegetarian meal, or can be a hearty side dish. This is also based on a similar Georgian dish, which uses some of the same ingredients, plus mint. This is the Italian version.
Ingredients:
- 2 garlic cloves (use a garlic press or chop)
- 1 onion, medium or large (sliced)
- 1 red onion, medium or large (sliced)
- 1 eggplant, large
- 4-5 large mushrooms
- 10-15 tomatoes, depending on size
- Fresh oregano
- Fresh thyme
- Basil
- Balkan cheese- about 150 grams
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil- of at least medium quality
Directions:
First, slice the white onion, you do not need to chop, and begin to saute it, along with the garlic cloves (use a garlic press if you have one, otherwise chop) in a generous portion of olive oil, until onions are brown. Then add the herbs- if you have fresh, then fresh are better, but otherwise, dried basil, oregano, thyme, and perhaps a pinch of herbs de provence could do. Give a generous portion again; make sure you can smell them easily as the oil and onions cook. The heat should be medium to medium low.
Next, add the tomatoes, (which should be chopped, but no need to chop finely). Increase the heat a bit, and once the tomatoes have popped out of their skins, reduce heat. Let cook for around 20-30 minutes, until the rest of your ingredients are ready. Salt and pepper to taste; beware that the dish will be saltier than just how the sauce tastes, as the eggplant has quite a bit of salt. (Explained in next paragraph)
Pre-heat the oven to at least 180 degrees c, or higher, on a broil setting. While the sauce is cooking, slice your eggplant, so slices are about 1 cm. in width. Spread eggplant slices on a plate, and salt generously; the salt will make the eggplants sweat out their water; this water you will then dap off of them, (this will take about 5-10 minutes) This allows eggplant, which has an extremely high water content, to absorb more flavors. After eggplant has rested with salt and excess water taken away, prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and drizzle some oil on the foil. Place eggplants on foil, and drizzle with olive oil. Put under broiler until the surface is brown and golden, flip over, and repeat.
After the eggplant has been grilled on both sides, take a large baking dish, (a souffle dish, lasagna dish) and put a bit of olive oil on the sides and bottom. Spoon a little bit of sauce, then put the a bit of the sliced red onion, a bit of the eggplant, and create layers of sauce, eggplant, onion, mushrooms, cheese, sauce, in whatever order you prefer. Your final layer should be with sauce and cheese.
Cover, place in the oven, and cook for 35 minutes at 200 c.
Suggested Side dishes:
- Risotto or couscous,
- Asparagus grilled in olive oil
