Aubergine and Tomato Gratin
Having finally got aubergines in our boxes we just had to make this one with all the great summer ingredients around right now. This was a bit of a childhood favourite of mine (I wasn't the kind of child who would eat nothing but fish fingers!) and I had to ask my mum for the recipe which had been scribbled on a bit of paper at some point in the late 80s or early 90s! Delicious as a side dish or on its own with a fresh green salad.
Ingredients
3-4 aubergines (approx. 500g)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 florence red onion finely chopped
6 tomatoes, chopped small
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Pinch of allspice and cinnamon
1 tsp caster sugar
Salt and pepper
1 cup of breadcrumbs
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Butter
Method
Dice the aubergines in to 1.5cm pieces, place in a colander and liberally sprinkly with salt. Leave to rest over a bowl for an hour to remove some of the water.
Heat the oil in a heavy based pan and add the aubergines. Fry over a medium-high heat until golden and then add the onions. Cook for a few minutes more to soften the onions and then add the tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Stir through and then add the spices and sugar.
Continue to cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Pour the mixture in to a buttered gratin dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs and cheese over the top. Dot with butter and bake in a 190C oven for about 30 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden.