Aubergines baked with onions and tomatoes

Although this dish comes from southern France, aubergines were originally an import to France by Arabs from the Middle East or North Africa.  These origins are reflected in the cooking by the inclusion of spice.

The dish can be served hot or cold as an hors d’œuvre, tapas or meze dish or as a vegetable to accompany roast meat.  It also makes an excellent supper dish.

Preparation Time: 10 Mins

Cooking Time: 65 Mins

Total Time: 2¼ Hrs

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

1                    Aubergine  

                     Salt          

                     Olive oil    

1                    Onion  - sliced thinly 

1                    Tomatoes  - chopped

2 cloves           Garlic  - chopped     

½ tsp             Allspice  - ground     

1 pinch            Sugar  - muscovado  

Method

Cut the aubergines unpeeled into slices about 7½ mm thick.  Salt them and leave them to drain in a colander for an hour.  Shake dry them in a cloth.

Fry the aubergine slices in moderately hot olive oil until both sides are golden.  Remove them from the pan to an oiled baking sheet – each slice separate from the others.

In the same oil used to fry the aubergines, cook the onion until soft end pale yellow.  Add the tomatoes and garlic.  Season with salt, if necessary, the allspice and the pinch of sugar.  Cook until the sauce is thick.

Put a tablespoon of the sauce on each aubergine slice and bake in a moderate oven (180°C) for 40 minutes.  Serve.

Wine recommendations

A white or a red wine.

Conventional

     Brouilly

     Côtes de Gascogne blanc, rosé or rouge

Interesting

     Bordeaux Clairet

     Corbières

     Graves blanc