Eggplant Parmesan gratin by Laurent Mariotte

Ingredients

4 servings

• 4 eggplants
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 2 mozzarella
• 6 very ripe tomatoes
• 2 red onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bunches of basil
• olive oil
• fine grey salt
• freshly ground pepper

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2. 2

   Peel the garlic and onions. Dice the onions, mince the garlic. Sauté the garlic in olive oil then add the onions. Salt and mix. Let steam for 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Cut the tomatoes into large cubes and add to the onions.

4. 4

   Strip the basil leaves from the stems and keep the leaves. Tie the stems together with a piece of string then add them to the tomato sauce. Let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Cut the eggplants into slices about 1 cm thick. Cook them for about 3 minutes on each side on a griddle with a drizzle of olive oil. Slice the mozzarella; crush the basil leaves.

6. 6

   Spread a first layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of the gratin dish, then cover with slices of eggplant. Sprinkle with basil and Parmesan; finish with a few slices of mozzarella.

7. 7

   Repeat the process, finishing with the Parmesan and mozzarella. Bake for 40 minutes.

8. 8

   If you want even more crunch, you can add a little breadcrumbs at the very end before putting the dish in the oven.