Gratin Daubergines à Lalgérienne Recipes

TOMATO AND AUBERGINE GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saute pan and cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and pepperoncino, and cook 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes and cook to a thick, chunky sauce, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh herbs.
• While the sauce cooks, brush the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet (you'll need to work in batches). Bake until golden and soft, about 15 minutes; turn and bake the other side, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Mix together the breadcrumbs with the chili powder.
• In a large gratin dish, starting with just the thinnest smear of tomato sauce over the bottom, layer in the eggplant, then sauce, then breadcrumbs. Repeat until the dish is full. Scatter the Parmesan over top. Bake until the gratin is heated through, and the top golden, about 30 minutes. Serve.

FRENCH TIAN D' AUBERGINES - GRATIN OF AUBERGINES/EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 F/230 C or Gas Mark 8.
• Lightly grease the Tian or an oven proof dish with olive oil.
• Cook the aubergine slices in hot olive oil, turning as necessary until they are golden brown on both sides & well cooked through. Drain them well on absorbent paper & allow to cool before assembling the Tian.
• Cheese Custard: Beat together the cottage cheese, grated Italian cheese, eggs & crème fraiche. Season with salt & black pepper to taste.
• Mix the tinned tomatoes with the passata & add the grated or finely chopped garlic.
• Now you can start to assemble the Tian - start with a little of the tomato sauce & then some aubergine slices; tear the basil leaves into small pieces & scatter over with basil flowers if available. Keep layering the dish with the tomato sauce & aubergines & fresh basil until all the ingredients have been used.
• Pour over the cheese custard & decorate with the freshly sliced tomatoes. Bake in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes until golden brown & bubbling. Allow to cool & serve in slices. Delicious with fresh green salad leaves & crusty bread.

GRATIN D'AUBERGINES à L'ALGéRIENNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and grease an ovenproof 9-by-12-inch casserole.
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Steam them for 5 minutes, or microwave them in a bowl for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size, until the interior is soft. When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp with a spoon into a colander, pressing out and discarding the water. Be careful to keep the shells intact.
• Chop the eggplant pulp, transfer it to a large bowl, and mix in all but 1/4 cup of the cheese. Taste, seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon the eggplant-and-cheese mixture into the shells, cover each with a thin slice of tomato, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and drizzle with olive oil.
• Place in the prepared casserole, and bake for 30 minutes. If the tops of the eggplants are not golden brown, put them under the broiler for a few minutes. Serve hot, accompanied by a big salad.