Cooking “au gratin” means baking an ingredient with a topping of grated cheese to create a golden brown crusty top. It is a French culinary technique that is quick and easy to prepare, and it is delicious! Today, I am making one of my favorite everyday gratin recipes: eggplant gratin, by Jean-François Mallet. This is an extremely easy recipe, and I always get compliments on how delicious it tastes!
Recipe
This recipe is from the French cookbook Simplissime by Jean-François Mallet, one of my favorite cookbooks. It is now available in English under the name Simple if you are interested in getting it.
- 11 ounces chopped tomatoes (300g) (store-bought box)
- 1 big eggplant
- 9 ounces fresh mozzarella (250g) (about 2 balls)
- 4 ounces grated parmesan (100g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash the eggplant and cut it in vertical slices. Slice the mozzarella.
- In a gratin dish (or similar dish), alternate the layers of eggplant, chopped tomatoes, and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Add a drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Enjoy!
You can eat the eggplant gratin as a full meal. Delicious!
If you would like to add a side dish, it goes well with a salad.
Bon Appétit!
French Mom
