French Tian D' Aubergines - Gratin Of Aubergines/eggplant

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 large aubergines, sliced, salted, rinsed & dried well
• 2 (400 g) cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, sliced into rings
• 1 (500 g) jar passata
• 2 -4 peeled & finely chopped garlic cloves, to taste
• 50 g of grana padano grated italian cheese or 50 g parmesan cheese
• 1 (400 g) container cottage cheese, strained
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 250 ml creme fraiche or 250 ml sour cream
• fresh basil leaf, & flowers if available
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil (to cook the aubergines, about 250 mls)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 450 f/230 c or gas mark 8.
• 2 lightly grease the tian or an oven proof dish with olive oil.
• 3 cook the aubergine slices in hot olive oil, turning as necessary until they are golden brown on both sides & well cooked through. drain them well on absorbent paper & allow to cool before assembling the tian.
• 4 cheese custard: beat together the cottage cheese, grated italian cheese, eggs & crème fraiche. season with salt & black pepper to taste.
• 5 mix the tinned tomatoes with the passata & add the grated or finely chopped garlic.
• 6 now you can start to assemble the tian – start with a little of the tomato sauce & then some aubergine slices; tear the basil leaves into small pieces & scatter over with basil flowers if available. keep layering the dish with the tomato sauce & aubergines & fresh basil until all the ingredients have been used.
• 7 pour over the cheese custard & decorate with the freshly sliced tomatoes. bake in the oven for 35 – 45 minutes until golden brown & bubbling. allow to cool & serve in slices. delicious with fresh green salad leaves & crusty bread.