I think I was in my late 20s when I first tasted eggplant. A neighbor of Greek ancestry invited me over for some moussaka. I liked it, but I still didn’t start cooking eggplant. It seemed just too big and mysterious! When I became more involved in Chinese cooking I starting occasionally using eggplant in my cooking. This infrequent use continued through my Japanese period and into my French period. Probably, if it wasn’t for my recent effort to expand the number of vegetables I eat, I’d still be only sporadically cooking eggplant.

I don’t know why I never ate eggplant as a child; there’s no one around anymore I can ask. I have always though it amusing that this large, purple vegetable was called an eggplant, although some eggplants may look like an egg. The eggplant of my youth were about the size and shape of an American football. During my Chinese period I used long, slender eggplants with a light purple skin that seemed to have few seeds. When I switched to Japanese cooking I switched to much smaller and thinner eggplants with a very dark purple skin. In the last five years, I’ve seen and used eggplant of all different shapes and shades—even some that were white and about the size of a large goose egg. Some varieties even had stripes.

The French and the British often disagree about many things, but they do agree that the correct name for an eggplant is aubergine. Outside the English speaking regions of North America, no one calls them eggplants. Although the British used the term first in the middle of the 1800s, and the Oxford English Dictionary defines the aubergine as “The fruit of the Egg-plant, Solanum esculentum, resembling a goose’s egg in size and shape, and usually of purple colour; also called brinjal,” I would be reluctant to try to order a “eggplant” in London today.1 The term “aubergine” first appeared in print in Britain about twenty-five years later,2 undoubtedly derived from the French which itself was derived from the Catalan albergínia. The Catalan term came from an Arabic term which in turn came from a Persian one.3

Unlike the introduction of the tomato to Paris, where the exact date is known, the date of introduction of the eggplant to France is only a guess. It was mentioned in a number of fourteenth-century Catalonian recipes, but its acceptance into France was much later. By the time of the Revolution, it appears that the eggplant was only known in the southern regions of France.4 The earliest recipe for eggplant that I could find in my collection of French cookbooks dates to 1852.5

Looking at recipes in cookbooks that covered the next 125 years, I found that there appears to be only two types of eggplant recipes. In books that had an eggplant recipe, there was one or more versions of an eggplant that was cut in half lengthwise and stuffed. The other type of recipe I commonly found was for cut-up eggplant pieces dipped in a batter and deep-fried. It is not until the appearance of nouvelle cuisine in the last third of the twentieth century does a larger variety of eggplant preparations begin to appear. Although there are now more types of preparations, there also seems to be a plethora of eggplant purees presented as eggplant “caviar.” I noticed early on in my search that there didn’t appear to be a recipe for eggplant soup, even in books with hundreds of soup recipes.6 It was only late in my search that I did found example of an eggplant soup.7 I still haven’t found a dessert using eggplant.

Some of the recipes I found for eggplant called for the flesh to be salted for some period of time and then rinsed. Some of the recipes said that the salt would remove the bitterness; others said that it would reduce the water content; most recipes gave no reason. I’ve not noticed a significant difference in flavor when eggplant has been salted versus when it hasn’t, but because the raw eggplant has a spongy texture made up of cells containing water surrounded by intercellular air pockets, salt will cause some of the cellular water near the surface to be released. The air pockets will absorb liquids, such as cooking oils, initially during cooking. When the eggplant is further heated, the structure collapses and the retained liquid, whether oil or water, is released and the texture turns to mush.8

Eggplant will oxidize somewhat quickly after it is cut because of an enzyme called polyphenoloxidase. This enzymatic browning can be delayed by chilling the eggplant to below 4 °C (40 °F) or by blanching the cut pieces in boiling water.9

The sources for the recipes included with this text are mostly recent, printed in the last ten years. My attempt is to present a variety of eggplant recipes and not just stuffed or deep-fried versions. As is my habit, I did include at least one recipe from older sources.

Although I came to appreciate the eggplant only as an adult, and fairly recently, it has become one of my favorite vegetables. I like its flavor, and I find it fun and challenging to work with.

The author gratefully thanks Ken Broadhurst of Mareuil-sur-Cher, France, for his superb photograph of eggplants growing in his garden.

“eggplant.” The Oxford English Dictionary, OED Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2nd ed., 1989. Cited 30 August 2006 <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50072547>.
“aubergine.” The Oxford English Dictionary, OED Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2nd ed., 1989. Cited 30 August 2006 <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50014647>.
Wikipedia. Cited 29 August 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubergine>.
Jean-Louis Flandrin, “The Early Modern Period,” in Jean-Louis Flandrin, Massimo Montanari, Albert Sonnenfeld (eds), Food: A Culinary History. New York: Penguin Books, 2000, p. 357.
L-E Audot, La Cuisinière de la campagne et de la ville ou nouvelle cuisine économique. Paris: Audot, Libraire-Éditeur, 1852, p. 325. In French.
Auguste Escoffier, Le guide culinaire; aide-mémoire de cuisine pratique. Paris: E Flammarion, 1921. in French.
Guy Martin, Toute la cusine. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 2003, p. 35. In French.
Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1984, p. 201.
Ibid, p. 152.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

aubergines à la bordelaise

oil for shallow frying
6 slices, cut from a large
eggplant, 1‑cm (410‑inch) thick
1 rounded T
minced shallots
1 large clove
garlic, minced
1 T
coarsely minced flat‑leaf parsley
1 T
bread crumbs

1. 
Using a frying pan large enough to hold the eggplant slices in a single layer, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant slices and cook until brown on each side. Drain on absorbent paper and keep warm.
2. 
Transfer some of the oil from the large frying pan to a smaller one set over low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs. Cook the mixture until the shallots are soft, but do not let the garlic burn.
3. 
Arrange the eggplant slices on individual, heated serving plates. Spoon the bread‑crumb mixture over the eggplant, and serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Samuel Chamberlain and Narcissa Chamberlain, Bouquet de France: An Epicurean Tour of the French Provinces, 1952, page 544.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

aubergines en pizza

1 medium (about 350 g (12 oz) )
eggplant
about 150 g (6 oz)
cored, peeled, seeded, and diced (3‑mm [18‑inch]) tomato
100 g (4 oz)
grated Emmental cheese
6 to 10
anchovy fillets
1 T
coarsely minced fresh oregano
about 2 T
grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

1. 
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. 
Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, including the stem. With a small knife, make a series of cuts in a crisscross fashion, spaced about a centimeter apart, through the flesh but without piercing the skin.
3. 
Lay the eggplant halves, flat side up, on a baking sheet. If the tops appear too far from horizontal, place a piece of bunched up aluminum foil under the narrow ends to level the surface and stabilize the eggplant halves.
4. 
Spread the diced tomato evenly over the cut surface. Next sprinkle a layer of Emmental cheese, followed by some anchovy fillets and the oregano. Using a small spoon, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the tops to hold everything in place. Finally, grind a bit of black pepper over the everything.
5. 
Bake the “pizzas” until the eggplant is tender, about 30 minutes.
6. 
Sprinkle a little oil over the tops before serving.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: ELLE à table, July‑August 1999, page 79.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

aubergines frites

350 g (12 oz)
eggplant slices, each about 1‑cm (38‑in) thick
fine salt
olive oil
all‑purpose flour
1
egg, beaten

1. 
Sprinkle the eggplant slices liberally with salt on both sides and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. 
Rinse the eggplant slices in cold water and pat dry with absorbent paper.
3. 
Preheat the oven to 75°C.
4. 
Heat enough olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat to fill the pan to a depth of about 2 mm. When the oil is hot, dust the slices thoroughly with flour. Shake off any excess. Dip the slices in the beaten egg and shake off any excess. Fry the slices in a single layer until lightly brown on each side. Drain the slices on absorbent paper in the oven.
5. 
Salt the slices lightly and arrange on individual serving plates.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Urbain Dubois and Émile Bernard, La Cuisine classique: études pratiques, raisonnées et démonstratives de l’école française appliquée au service à la russe, 1864, page 323.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

aubergines rôties

6 slices, cut from a large
eggplant, 1‑cm (410‑inch) thick
olive oil
ground cumin

1. 
Preheat the oven to 210°C.
2. 
Lightly brush the eggplant slices with oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the slices until tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes per side.
3. 
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with cumin and arrange on individual, heated serving plates.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Frédéric Médigue, Hostellerie Saint‑Georges, Gruyères, Switzerland, October 2005.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

chartreuse d’aubergines violettes

about 400 g (about 14 oz) small to medium
eggplant
olive oil
100 g (4 oz)
Gouda cheese with cumin seeds
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. 
Preheat broiler.
2. 
Cut a series of 5‑mm thick slices of eggplant sufficient to line two 175‑ml ramekins. Place the slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil on both sides. Cook the slices under the broiler until they start to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. 
Dice the remaining eggplant into 8‑mm cubes. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the eggplant cubes, season with salt and pepper, and fry until they start to soften.
4. 
Preheat oven to 180°C.
5. 
When the slices are cooked, line the ramekins. Place a 3‑mm thick slice of cheese in the bottom of each ramekin. Add a spoonful of cooked eggplants cubes. Gently push the cubes down in the ramekin to remove any air spaces. Repeat with more cheese and eggplant cubes until the ramekins are full.
6. 
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and cook until heated through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
7. 
Unmold the ramekins directly onto individual heat serving plates.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Cuisiner!, July 1998, page 53.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

flan d’aubergines au chèvre

200 g (8 oz)
eggplant, 5‑mm (14‑inch) dice
fine salt
soft unsalted butter
2 T
olive oil
12 small
onion, 5‑mm (15‑inch) dice
1 small
plum tomato, cored, seeded, 5‑mm (15‑inch) dice
1 clove
garlic, peeled, minced
1 extra‑large
egg, beaten
50 g (3 T)
fresh goat cheese, crumbled with a fork
leaves from 1 sprig
fresh tarragon, finely minced
freshly ground black pepper
40 g (112 oz)
grated Parmesan cheese

1. 
Place the eggplant cubes in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, mix, and set aside for 20 minutes. When the time is up, rinse the eggplant with cold water and drain well.
2. 
Preheat oven to 210°C. Butter a couple 175 ml ramekins.
3. 
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and sprinkle again with a little salt. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the tomato and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes more.
4. 
In the meantime, place the egg, goat cheese, tarragon, and black pepper in a large bowl and mix. When the eggplant mixture is cooked, add this to the bowl and mix well.
5. 
Divide the final mixture between the prepared ramekins. Level the tops and sprinkle with a generous layer of Parmesan cheese. Bake the flans until the liquid bubbles up through the top, about 20 minutes.
6. 
Let the ramekins sit for a couple of minutes before serving. To serve, unmold the flans from the ramekins and set each, cheese‑side up, on individual servings dishes.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: MaxiCuisine, October‑November, 2005, page 23.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

gratin aubergine au parmesan

unsalted unsalted butter
2 T
olive oil
1 medium (about 250 g (9 oz)
eggplant, cut into 5‑mm (15‑inch) square by 4‑cm (112‑inch) long strips [see note]
fine salt and freshly grated black pepper
60 g (2 oz)
grated Parmesan cheese

1. 
Butter individual gratin dishes and set aside. Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F).
2. 
Heat the olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant strips, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender.
3. 
Divide the eggplant between the gratin dishes and sprinkle the cheese over the tops. Bake until the eggplant is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
4. 
Serve quite warm.

Note: If using small eggplants for this dish, cut them into 5‑mm thick rounds.
Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Christophe Felder, Les gratins de Christophe, 2001, page 150.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

mesclun nouveau aux aubergines et crevettes

350 g (12 oz)
eggplant, 5‑mm (14‑inch) thick slices
fine salt
2 T
olive oil
65 g (2 oz)
mesclun, or other mixed salad greens
100 g (4 oz)
small shrimp, peeled, vein removed, blanched, chilled
for vinaigrette:
1 T
sunflower oil
1 T
olive oil
1 T
white wine vinegar
1 small clove
garlic, peeled, pureed
12 t
Dijon‑style mustard
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. 
Lay the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides of each slice liberally with fine salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. 
Rinse the eggplant slices well in cold water. Dry the slices on absorbent paper. Cut each slice in 5‑mm cubes.
3. 
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Fry the eggplant cubes until slightly browned all over, about 6 minutes. Drain the cubes on absorbent paper.
4. 
Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking all the ingredients together. Toss the vinaigrette with the mesclun.
5. 
Divide the dressed mesclun between individual serving plates. Sprinkle the cooked eggplant over the greens. Arrange the cooked shrimp on top of the salads in an attractive manner.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Guide Cuisine, April 1997, page 31.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

millefeuilles d’aubergines

5 T
olive oil
45 g (112 oz)
finely minced onion
80 g (3 oz)
peeled, diced plum tomato flesh
1 t
minced fresh oregano
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 generous handful
fresh basil
1 large clove
garlic, peeled, minced
2 medium, elongated‑shaped
eggplants
olive oil for brushing eggplant slices
about 8 small slices
mozzarella cheese

1. 
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and a small pinch of salt. Sweat the onion until it starts to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thick. Check the seasoning and set aside to cool.
2. 
Place the basil and garlic in the bowl of a small food processor. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until the basil is very finely chopped. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of oil, if necessary.
3. 
Preheat the broiler.
4. 
Trim the stems and leaves from the eggplants. Working from the center outward, cut each lengthwise into 1‑cm thick slices. There should be 4 slices for each eggplant that are all about the same size. Keep the slices from each eggplant together and in order throughout the remaining steps.
5. 
Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush each side of each slice lightly with olive oil. Place the slices under the broiler until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the slices and brown the other side.
6. 
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
7. 
Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place one slice from each of the eggplants on the baking sheet. Using a small spoon spread some of the tomato sauce over the eggplant slices. Follow this with some of the basil sauce. Lastly, cover each arrangement with a 112‑mm thick slice of cheese. The cheese slice should be about the same size as the eggplant slice it is on. Repeat this process with the remaining slices of eggplant. Keep the slices in order. On the top slice, use either two slices of cheese or a single slice that is twice as thick. Finish each stack with a little more basil sauce.
8. 
Bake the eggplant arrangements until the cheese melts, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Cuisine Actuelle, April 200, page 5.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

purée aubergines et chèvre

450 g (1 lb)
eggplant
2 T
olive oil
75 g (3 oz)
fresh goat cheese, crumbled
18 t
ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper

1. 
Place the eggplant on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 200°C until soft on the inside, about an hour. Set aside to cool.
2. 
Warm the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Slit the eggplant down the side and scrape the pulp into the saucepan with a large spoon. Cook the pulp, stirring often, until heated through and dried a little.
3. 
Off the heat, mix in the cheese and cumin. Season with a bit of black pepper.

Note: May be served warm or cold.
Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Nathalie Combier, Mes purées salées et sucrées, 2004, page 12.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

rouleaux d’aubergines à l’origan

olive oil
75 g (212 oz)
onion, peeled, 2‑mm (110‑in) dice
300 g (11 oz)
plum tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, diced
2 cloves
garlic, pureed
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium, elongated‑shaped
eggplants
100 g (4 oz)
feta cheese, crumbled
12 T
Dijon‑style mustard
12 T
fresh oregano, coarsely chopped

1. 
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sweat until the onion starts to soften. Add the diced tomato, half the garlic, and a pinch of salt. When the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until thick. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. 
Preheat the broiler.
3. 
Trim the stems and leaves from the eggplants. Working from the center outward, cut each lengthwise into 5‑mm thick slices. There should be 4 slices for each eggplant that are all about the same size.
4. 
Arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush each side of each slice lightly with olive oil. Place the slices under the broiler until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the slices and brown the other side.
5. 
Preheat the oven to 210°C.
6. 
Combine the cheese, mustard, oregano, and 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce in a bowl. Use a fork to break apart the cheese and uniformly bring the mixture together.
7. 
Divide the remaining tomato sauce between individual gratin dishes. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce evenly over the bases of the dishes.
8. 
Place one of the eggplant slices on a work surface. Place a small spoonful of the cheese mixture at the square‑cut end and roll the slice up from that end. Set the rolled‑up slice on the layer of tomato sauce. Repeat the process with the remaining eggplant slices. There should be 4 eggplant rolls per serving.
9. 
Place the gratin dishes in the oven and bake until the cheese starts to melt, about 15 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Cuisine Actuelle, October‑November 2000 (Supplement), page 49.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

salade d’aubergines au citron confit

2 T
olive oil
200 g (7 oz)
small eggplants, 6 to 8‑mm (14 to 516‑inch) thick slices
fine salt
12 medium
red bell pepper, seeded, roasted, skinned, 5‑mm wide strips
14
citron confit, peel only, diced
1 small clove
garlic, peeled, pureed
12 t
paprika
12 T
lemon juice
12 T
minced parsley

1. 
Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the eggplant slices, season with salt, and cook until tender. Transfer the eggplant slices to a plate and set aside to cool.
2. 
When the eggplant slices are at room temperature, transfer them to a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Vicky Hayward, Ralph Hancock, & Norma MacMillan (eds), Marie Claire Cuisine Extraordinaire, 1988, page 174.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

soupe gratinée d’aubergines

1 T
olive oil
335 g (12 oz)
eggplant, peeled, 5‑mm (15‑inch) dice
275 g (10 oz)
sweet onion, peeled, shredded
1 large clove
garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
500 ml (2 c)
water
1
fresh bay leaf
coarse gray salt
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices
bread, toasted
2 to 4 slices
Emmenthal cheese
2 T
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 extra‑large
eggs

1. 
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the eggplant, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until everything starts to soften. Stir often. Add the water, bay leaf, and gray salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.
2. 
Preheat the broiler to high. Prepare water for poaching the eggs.
3. 
Season the soup with fine salt and black pepper. Divide the soup between large serving bowls. Place a slice of toast on top of each portion. Arrange the slices of Emmenthaler cheese in a single layer on the toast and spoon the Parmesan cheese over that. Place the bowls of soup under the broiler until the cheese melts and starts to brown, about 3 minutes.
4. 
In the meantime, poach the eggs for 3 minutes. When done, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper.
5. 
When the soup bowls come out from the broiler, place a poached egg on the top of each one.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Guy Martin, Toute la cuisine, 2003, page 35.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

tartare d’aubergines

350 g (12 oz)
eggplant
olive oil for frying
110 g (4 oz)
tomato, peeled, seeded, cored, 5‑mm dice
30 g (1 oz)
shallots, minced
10
basil leaves, minced
pinch
cumin powder
12 t
brown sugar
2
dried prunes, seeded, minced
1 T
lemon juice
2 T
olive oil
salt and freshly pepper to taste

1. 
Boil or steam eggplant until soft. Set aside to cool completely. Cut into long strips, about 12 to 25 mm per side.
2. 
Heat a frying pan with a few tablespoons oil over high heat. Fry eggplant until brown on each side. Drain and set aside on absorbent paper to cool.
3. 
Peel eggplant and chop. Mix eggplant with tomato, shallots, basil, cumin, sugar, prunes, lemon juice, and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. 
Using a metal ring, divide among serving plates and decorate.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Jean‑Marie Amat, Cuisiner!, Supplement #20 (1998), page 33.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

tempura d’aubergine

100 g (4 oz)
rice flour
25 g (1 oz)
all‑purpose flour
200 ml (13 T)
ice water
1 extra‑large
egg yolk
1 t
lemon juice
12 T
olive oil
2 slender
eggplants
2
fleurs de courgettes [optional]

1. 
Combine the two flours together in a deep bowl. Slowly mix in the water with a wooden spatula. When about half the water is incorporated, switch to a whisk and continue adding the remainder of the water. Whisk in the egg yolk, lemon juice, and olive oil. Set the batter aside in the refrigerator until needed.
2. 
Cut the stems from the eggplants. Then cut the bodies of the eggplants lengthwise into 6 wedges. Insert a wooden skewer in the flat, cut end of each wedge.
3. 
If using the fleurs de courgettes, trim the small fruit attached to the flowers and insert a wooden skewer into the cut end of the fruit.
4. 
Heat oil for deep frying to about 170°C. Preheat the oven to 75°C.
5. 
Working in groups, dip the eggplant wedges into the batter, drain off the excess, and carefully insert them into the hot oil. Cook for a couple of minutes until the batter starts to brown. Remove the wedges from the oil and drain them on absorbent paper in the oven with the oven door slightly ajar. Repeat the process until all the wedges are cooked.
6. 
If using the fleurs de courgettes, dip them in the batter and cook in the same manner as the eggplant wedges.
7. 
To serve, arrange the eggplant wedges and the fleurs de courgettes on individual serving plates. Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings.
Ref: Cuisine Actuelle, July 2006, page 62.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.

terrine d’aubergine au basilic

1 (about 400 g (about 14 oz) )
eggplant
soft butter
375 g (13 oz)
plum tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, finely diced
2 T
minced, fresh basil
1 T
minced, fresh flat‑leaf parsley
2 extra‑large
eggs, beaten
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 T
olive oil
12 small
onion, peeled, minced
1 sprig
fresh thyme
1 sprig
fresh flat‑leaf parsley

1. 
Preheat oven to 210°C.
2. 
Poke the skin of the eggplant all over with a fork. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and bake the eggplant until soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. 
Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Brush a 300‑g (112‑c) ceramic terrine with butter. Set aside.
4. 
Peel the skin from the cooked eggplant and discard. Cut the flesh into small cubes. Place the cubes in a mixing bowl along with 125 g (412 oz) of the tomato, 1 T minced basil, the parsley, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared terrine. Place the terrine in a hot‑water bath. Bake until firm, about 1 hour.
5. 
When the terrine is done, remove from the oven and the water bath. Set the terrine aside to cool at room temperature.
6. 
While the terrine is cooking, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook the onions without browning until soft. Add the remaining tomatoes, the thyme sprig, and the parsley sprig. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and cook until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
7. 
To serve, unmold the terrine and cut into 4 thick slices. Place a slice on each individual serving plates. Place a large dessert‑spoon portion of sauce on each slice. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings.
Ref: Louisa Jones, The New Provençal Cuisine, 1995, page 92.

©2006, 2014 Peter Hertzmann. All rights reserved.