Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (152 page)

A large (11-inch) frying pan, preferably no-stick

Olive oil or cooking oil

A flexible-blade spatula

A second tray or a platter to hold sautéed eggplant

A dozen slices or so at a time, blanch in the boiling water for 2 minutes—barely to soften, not to cook through; dip out with skimmer or spoon, and drain on paper towels.

Pat tops of slices dry with towels. Pour a ⅛-inch layer of oil into frying pan; heat to very hot but not smoking. Sauté for a minute as many slices in pan as will fit in one layer, on each side, barely browning them, and transfer to second tray. Continue with rest of slices, adding more oil to pan as necessary. (Although all of this is somewhat of a nuisance, it is this step that gives the final dish its distinction.)

3)
Assembling

An oiled 5- to 6-cup flameproof gratin dish, such as an oval one 10 to 11 inches long and 2 inches deep

About 4 ounces Swiss cheese sliced
¹
⁄
₁₆
inch thick

The reserved tomato juice

Aluminum foil

Arrange the eggplant slices purple side uppermost in overlapping rows, each row spread with tomato sauce and covered with slices of cheese as shown.

If you need more room, push the rows more closely together as you go; if you need less, let them lie flatter. Pour in about ½ cup of the tomato juice, enough to come ½ to ⅔ the way up the eggplant. Cover closely with the foil.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: May be prepared in advance to this point; refrigerate if you are not going to bake within an hour or so.

4)
Baking and serving—preheat oven to 375 degrees

Heat briefly on top of stove, just until contents start to bubble, then bake for 45 minutes to an hour in the middle level of the preheated oven. Eggplant is done when the slices are tender and juices have thickened but are not quite absorbed. Uncover for last 10 minutes of baking so that cheese will brown and liquid will thicken more. (Add more tomato juice if there is danger of eggplant drying out before it is done.) Serve bubbling hot.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: This may be baked well in advance of serving, and then reheated. If so, take it out of the oven before liquid is quite absorbed, so there will be enough to moisten the eggplant during its reheating. Any leftovers may be transferred to a smaller dish and reheated under a slow broiler.

VARIATION

Gratin d’Aubergines Farcies

[Main-course Eggplant and Tomato Casserole for Leftover Meat]

Sautéed sliced eggplant, an excellent tomato sauce, and grated cheese are just the elements for turning yesterday’s roast into a splendid new main
course. Turkey, veal, or pork respond especially well to this treatment. The meat is ground and flavored, while the other elements are the same as in the preceding recipe. You may arrange the eggplant in upright slices if you wish to take the time, or lay them flat as suggested here and build the casserole in layers. Serve this hot with French bread and a chilled rosé wine, and follow with a tossed green salad. It is also delicious served cold.

NOTE
: As in most recipes of this type, exact proportions are not of vital importance. If you have less or more meat, add fewer or more onions and the other ingredients that flavor it.

For 6 to 8 people

The meat mixture

1 cup minced onions

2 Tb olive oil or cooking oil

An 8-inch frying pan with cover

Stir the onions into the oil, cover the pan, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until onions are tender. Raise heat and stir to brown onions lightly for 2 to 3 minutes.

About 2 cups ground cooked veal, pork, or turkey (previously trimmed of all fat, skin, and gristle)

About ½ cup ground baked or boiled ham, or ready-to-cook packaged ham slice (you may include some of the fat)

About ¼ tsp of whatever herb you prefer and are using in the tomato sauce (thyme, oregano, fresh basil, rosemary)

½ cup thickened gravy from the roast, or ½ cup stock or bouillon blended with 1½ tsp cornstarch

1 clove mashed garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

3 to 4 Tb chopped fresh parsley

Stir the ground meat into the onions, along with the herbs, the gravy or bouillon, and garlic. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to blend flavors. Season carefully with salt and pepper to taste, and a little more of the herb if you think it necessary. Let cool while you are completing other parts of the recipe. When tepid or cold, blend in the egg and the parsley.