When you don’t have time to prepare papoutsakia, Sofia always recommended her baked eggplant recipe. The eggplants, after being sliced, need to be drizzled with a very generous amount of olive oil so that they bake until tender and golden, but are not overly greasy. Next, fresh tomatoes should be used and cooked down into a proper sauce with a little garlic and a touch of basil or oregano. A final crisp layer of bread crumbs with golden spots completes the dish.
Melitzanes sto forno
Μελιτζάνες στο φούρνο
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized eggplants.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes
- 1 sprig fresh oregano or basil
- Sea salt to taste
- Ma's chilli puree to taste
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
-
Trim each eggplant and cut into half inch thick slices. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in a baking dish in the oven, for about 25 minutes or until tender.
-
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Wash the tomatoes and halve or quarter. Put them in a saucepan with a splash of water and let them simmer for a few minutes. Once the tomatoes have released a little liquid, remove from the heat. Place the tomatoes in a colander and push through with a wooden pestle (as mama does) or pass the tomatoes through a mouli.
-
Place the extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a heavy based pot. Allow the garlic to become a little fragrant, but not burnt. Add the oregano or basil and fresh tomato puree. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and a little chilli puree to taste
-
Remove the eggplants from the oven, pour the tomato mixture over them and top with bread crumbs. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden. Serve at room temperature.
