aubergines with tomato topping (melitzanes imam bayildi)

With tomato and eggplant season in full force in Quebec, my greek origins are being awakened. Nothing pleases me more than an eggplant and tomato dish. Here is a wonderful eggplant dish that I recently made. I recommend this dish for someone who really loves eggplants because the vegetable is really prominent!

aubergines with tomato topping

3 medium aubergines (eggplant), total weight about 800 g / 1 3/4 lb
150 ml (2/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500 g (1 1/4 lb) fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) each dried oregano and thyme
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) sugar
45 ml (3 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
15 ml (1 tbsp) tomato purée (paste) diluted in 150 ml (2/3 cup) hot water
salt and ground black pepper

Serves 4

1. Trim the aubergines, then slice them into rounds about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Place in salted water for 1 hour and rinse and pat dry. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan and shallow-fry the aubergines in batches, turning them over once, until light golden on both sides. As each batch is cooked, lift the slices out and arrange them side by side in a large roasting dish.

2. Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions utnil lightly coloured. Add the garlic and when aromatic, add the tomatoes and a little water. Season, stir in the oregano, thyme and sugar, then cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Stir the parsley into the sauce, then pile 15-30 ml/1-2 tbsp of the mixture on each slice of aubergine. Pour the diluted tomato purée into the dish, adding it to a corner, to avoid disturbing the aubergines. Bake the aubergines for 20-25 minutes, basting them once.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature, either accompanied by a salad as a main course or as part of the mezethes for a party.