French cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Provençal Eggplant Bake

Layers of eggplant and tomato slices with garlic and herbs, slowly braised in the oven.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g eggplant
• 600 g tomatoes
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bunch basil
• 8 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the eggplant into 1 cm thick slices, salt both sides and let drain on a rack for 20 min., then pat dry.
2. Cut the onions into thin rings and sauté in 2 tbsp olive oil for 8 min. until soft, adding the finely chopped garlic for the last minute.
3. Fry the eggplant slices in a pan with 4 tbsp olive oil in batches for 2 min. per side until lightly browned at the edges.
4. Cut the tomatoes into 5 mm thick slices and layer them upright, tiled like shingles, with the eggplant and onions in an oiled baking dish, seasoning each layer with salt, pepper, sugar and thyme.
5. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake at 180°C for 40–45 min. until the eggplant is very soft and the tomato juices have thickened at the edges.
6. Let cool briefly, sprinkle generously with picked basil leaves and serve lukewarm with baguette.