CookEat Recipe
Aubergine Tortino with Tomato and Parmesan
Layers of flour-fried peeled aubergine, smooth tomato sauce and Parmesan, finished with a thin egg and breadcrumb topping.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 8 small aubergines, about 1 kg total; About 20 g salt for drawing moisture from the aubergine, plus a little for seasoning; 80 g plain flour, or enough for dusting; About 150 ml frying oil, enough for a shallow layer in the pan; 8 ripe tomatoes, about 800 g; 1/4 small onion, about 40 g; 1 garlic clove; 1 finger-length piece celery, about 30 g; A few basil leaves; A small handful parsley leaves; 2 tablespoons olive oil for the tomato sauce; 75 g grated Parmesan: 70 g for the layers and about 1 teaspoon, 5 g, for the topping; 1 egg; 2 teaspoons fine breadcrumbs, about 5 g; Black pepper.
Step 2
Peel the aubergines and cut into rounds about 4–5 mm thick. Sprinkle with the 20 g salt, place in a colander over a bowl and leave in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to draw out moisture. Rinse briefly to remove excess salt, then pat very dry.
Step 3
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, garlic, celery, basil and parsley. Chop the tomatoes and put them in a saucepan with the chopped vegetables and herbs, olive oil, a little salt and pepper. Start everything together from cold. Simmer for about 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a lightly creamy sauce.
Step 4
Press through a sieve, discarding skins and coarse fibres. Reserve 1 tablespoon of this sauce for the topping.
Step 5
Dust the dry aubergine rounds lightly with flour and shake off excess. Heat a shallow layer of frying oil in a broad pan. Fry the rounds in single-layer batches over moderate heat until golden on both sides and tender, about 3–5 minutes per side. Drain briefly. Allow about 40–50 minutes for the batches, or longer with a smaller pan.
Step 6
Heat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the fried rounds in overlapping layers on a shallow ovenproof dish, about 24 cm across, distributing the remaining tomato sauce and 70 g Parmesan between the layers. Build a gently rounded mound rather than pressing the slices flat.
Step 7
Beat the egg with a pinch of salt, the reserved tablespoon of tomato sauce, the teaspoon of Parmesan and the two teaspoons of breadcrumbs. Spread this small mixture thinly over the entire upper surface.
Step 8
Bake on an upper-middle shelf for about 15–20 minutes, until the topping is set and reaches 74°C. If needed, finish very briefly under the upper grill, watching continuously, just to colour the surface. Serve hot on its own or as a side dish.
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