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. Press through a sieve, discarding skins and coarse fibres. Reserve 1 tablespoon of this sauce for the topping.
Step 4
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 5
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 6
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. 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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