Apr 05 2009

Eggplant Gratin

Published by at 10:48 am under Low-Carb,Quick Meal,Vegetarian

Eggplant Gratin

Okay, I admit it. I fell in love with this dish when I watched the episode of Barefoot Contessa that it was featured in. Ina recreated dishes for her husband that were reminiscent of events in their lives. I mean, how absolutely adorable is that?

The peanut butter swirl brownies from that same episode have already been featured, and I figured it was time to give a nod to the eggplant gratin. It’s classic bistro food, and with the bubbling marinara and browned cheese, it will surely rank highly on your list of comfort foods, as well.

Salting the eggplant Frying the eggplant
Assembling the gratin Ready for the oven


Eggplant Gratin
recipe from Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients
Good olive oil, for frying
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

One response so far

One Response to “Eggplant Gratin”

  1. Saraon 05 Apr 2009 at 1:22 pm

    I made this one a while back and loved it! Almost tastes like eggplant parmesan, but with a twist.

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