Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (148 page)

3)
Tomato and bread-crumb topping

5 to 6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped (2 cups pulp)

⅛ tsp salt

Big pinch pepper

½ cup dry crumbs from nonsweetened, homemade-type white bread

More oil if needed

When you have prepared the tomatoes, toss gently in a bowl with salt and pepper; drain in a few minutes
and spread over the eggplant slices. Sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs and drizzle on oil.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: Recipe may be prepared an hour in advance to this point. Cover loosely and set aside.

4)
Broiling and serving

A hot serving platter, or the meat platter

A flexible-blade spatula

About 5 minutes before serving, set eggplant 4 to 5 inches under a moderately hot broiler and let brown slowly to finish cooking. Arrange on platter, again overlapping slices slightly in an attractive design. Serve as soon as possible because eggplant will soften if kept warm.

Other topping suggestions

Sprinkle eggplant with a mixture of bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley, and finish with drops of oil, or mask the slices with the thick cheese sauce described for
Broccoli Mornay
, and top with a sprinkling of cheese and melted butter. In either case, reheat and brown under a moderate broiler as described in the preceding step.

  
AUBERGINES EN PERSILLADE, SAUTÉES

[
Sautéed Eggplant Garnished with Garlic, Bread Crumbs, and Herbs]

Sautéed eggplant is easier to serve than the preceding broiled eggplant, and certainly easier to finish off at the last moment. It also lends itself to several variations, as you will see. Serve sautéed eggplant with steaks, chops, roast lamb, broiled fish, or broiled chicken. Whole, small baked tomatoes are probably the most attractive additional accompaniment.

For 4 to 6 people

1)
Preparing the eggplant

2 lbs. shiny, firm, unblemished eggplant

A 3-quart mixing bowl

1½ tsp salt

A colander

Paper towels

Peel the eggplant. Cut into lengthwise slices ¾ inch thick, cut slices into ¾-inch strips, and the strips into ¾-inch cubes. (You will have around 8 cups.) Toss in the bowl with the salt and let stand 20 to 30 minutes. Just before sautéing, drain in colander and pat dry in paper towels.

2)
Sautéing the eggplant

Olive oil or cooking oil

A 12-inch frying pan, preferably no-stick (or an 8-inch pan for sautéing in 2 batches)

The colander set over the drained mixing bowl

Pour a ⅛-inch layer of oil into the pan and heat until very hot but not smoking. Add enough eggplant to make 1 layer. Toss and turn the eggplant frequently, shaking and swirling the pan by its handle; sauté for 5 to 8 minutes until eggplant is tender and very lightly browned. (Eggplant burns easily, and you must keep your eye on it. If it has browned but is not tender, lower heat and cover the pan for 2 to 3 minutes until it is tender.) Drain in colander and return any accumulated oil from bowl to frying pan. Continue with the rest of the eggplant if you are sautéing in several batches.

3)
The persillade

The oil

⅓ cup coarse, dry crumbs from nonsweetened, homemade-type white bread

2 Tb minced shallots or scallions

1 to 2 large cloves of garlic, mashed or finely minced

3 Tb fresh chopped parsley

Optional other herbs, such as thyme, basil, or oregano

A hot serving dish

Add more oil to pan to make about 2 tablespoons. Heat to very hot, add the bread crumbs, and toss for a minute or two to brown lightly. Then add the shallots or scallions and garlic, and toss a moment more.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

Just before serving, reheat pan with bread-crumb mixture, add eggplant, and toss over moderately high heat until eggplant is sizzling. Toss with parsley and optional herbs, turn into hot dish, and serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

Aubergines en Persillade, Gratinées

[Eggplant Baked with Parsley, Garlic, and
Béchamel
]

Sautéed eggplant tossed with garlic and parsley then folded into a
béchamel
sauce and browned in the oven makes a fine accompaniment to steaks, chops, hamburgers, broiled chicken, or fish.