My Kind of Eggplant!

The eggplants at the market are beautiful right now. We found this recipe for Baked Eggplants with Tomatoes, Tarragon, and Creme Fraiche in A Year in My Kitchen by Skye Gyngell.

It is a great version and reheats wonderfully. We really liked the richness of the tomato sauce.

We started with a Tomato Salad. It made a perfect vegetarian dinner.

I love this dish because it sings of summer. Served just warm with nutty brown rice, garlicky yogurt, and an arugula salad on the side, it makes a lovely vegetarian supper. It also works well with broiled or barbecued lamb.

Serves 4 to 6

3          globe eggplants, about

1          pound each, trimmed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil, to pan-fry

4          tbsp unsalted butter

2-1/4   pounds ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

4          cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

¾         cups creme fraiche

2          tbsp tarragon leaves, minced

2          tbsp chopped Italian parsley, plus extra to finish

½         tbsp chopped thyme leaves (ideally, lemon thyme), plus sprigs to garnish

1          tbsp minced chives

2          ounces Parmesan, freshly grated

extta virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Slice the eggplants into 1/2-inch circles. Lay in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Let degorge the bitter juices for about 30 minutes—beads of moisture will appear on the eggplant flesh. Before cooking, pat each eggplant slice dry with paper towels.

Heat a 1/2-inch depth of olive oil in a large, fairly deep skillet over medium-high heat. Pan-fry the eggplant slices, a few at a time, until golden brown on one side, then turn and brown on the other side. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Melt the butter in another pan. Add the tomatoes and garlic and season with a good pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Meanwhile, put the creme fraiche into a small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let bubble until reduced by a third, then remove from the heat and add the tarragon, parsley, thyme, and chives. Add half of the Parmesan and taste for seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (convection oven to 350°F). Line the bottom of a large, shallow ovenproof baking dish with a layer of eggplant slices. Follow with a thin coating of the tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining Parmesan. Continue layering in this way, finishing with tomato sauce. Pour over the creme fraiche mixture and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Let the dish sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to get acquainted with each other.

Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, 16 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes or so. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt. Scatter over some minced parsley and thyme sprigs to garnish and serve ... but not too hot!