Eggplant Casserole with Egg and Cream Topping

Name: Eggplant Casserole with Egg and Cream Topping (Florentine Style)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: Eggplants 2-3; Eggs 2; Heavy cream 100 ml; Parsley, dill 2-3 sprigs; Olive oil 2-3 tbsp; Dried thyme 2-3 pinches; Black pepper, salt to taste; Coarse salt for the eggplants, if bitter

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Eggplant casserole can be made in hundreds of ways. In this one, pre-fried eggplant is finished in the oven in an egg and cream mixture with herbs.

They say eggplants are often bitter. To get rid of the bitterness, sliced eggplant is salted first, then rinsed and fried. To be honest, I haven’t come across a bitter eggplant in a long time. But as usual, it’s up to the cook. Still, even in moussaka you shouldn’t use bitter eggplants, so it’s better to make Bulgarian moussaka (recipe here).

All kinds of dishes are made from prepared and fried eggplant. In the Balkans, the Mediterranean countries and the Carpathians, eggplant is a frequent guest on the menu, especially in summer. For example, the wonderful lecho, an exceptional appetizer. Or the refined eastern dish imam bayildi, which made a spiritual leader faint. And all kinds of eggplant rolls.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a nightshade plant. The dark purple fruits are often called “little blue ones” here. In Greek the eggplant is called μελιτζάνα (melidzana), from melas, “black”, and genesis, “origin”, i.e. “that which produces blackness”.

Italian cuisine uses eggplant everywhere, even in simple eggplant with tomatoes. In Florence, for example, the capital of Tuscany, one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and the birthplace of Amerigo Vespucci, Leonardo da Vinci and Benvenuto Cellini, eggplant casserole with an egg topping is made in a special way and is unusually delicious.

More with eggplant

Eggplant Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce

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Eggplant Patties with Vegetables

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Ajapsandali: Spiced Caucasian Eggplant Stew

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Imam Bayildi – Stuffed Eggplant

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Italian Pasta with Eggplant, Bell Pepper and Tomatoes

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Ingredients

2 servings

Eggplants 2-3
Eggs 2
Heavy cream 100 ml
Parsley, dill 2-3 sprigs
Olive oil 2-3 tbsp
Dried thyme 2-3 pinches
Black pepper, salt to taste
Coarse salt for the eggplants, if bitter

Step-by-step recipe

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Preparing the eggplants

Eggplant casserole is made from young dark purple fruits with undeveloped seeds.
Slice the eggplants: wash them, remove the green stem and cut into rounds 5-6 mm thick.
If you aren’t sure the eggplants aren’t bitter, sprinkle the slices with coarse salt and leave for 30 mins so the bitter juice drains out. Then rinse the eggplants under cold running water, squeeze them out and pat dry with a towel.
Fry the eggplants in olive oil over medium heat on both sides until soft and golden brown. Never overcook them.
It’s worth noting that eggplants soak up oil like a sponge while frying, so the calorie and fat content of the dish will be very high. If that’s unacceptable, there’s another way. Put the sliced eggplants in a bowl and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Toss thoroughly so the rounds are coated with a film of oil. Then fry them in a large, deep skillet (sauté pan), stirring like fried potatoes. This way the eggplants fry beautifully even with a small amount of oil.
Put the fried eggplants in a bowl and cover with a towel.

Egg topping and assembly

Make the egg topping: mix the eggs, add 2-3 pinches of dried thyme, salt, pepper and finely chopped herbs, leaving a little for serving. Beat with a fork and add the cream, then mix everything thoroughly.
Assemble the casserole: brush a baking dish with a little olive oil and arrange the fried eggplants in a single layer so the bottom is completely covered.
Pour the egg and cream mixture over the eggplants. Add the next layer of eggplants and pour over again. Once all the eggplants are in the dish, pour in the remaining topping and gently press the eggplants down with a spatula.

Baking

Put the dish into an oven preheated to 180°C and bake until the egg and cream mixture sets and is no longer liquid. This takes up to 30 mins.

Serving

Cut the Florentine eggplant casserole into portions and serve hot, sprinkled with more herbs.
As an extra, you can offer a few hot peppers fried in oil or any spicy appetizer.

Calories and macros

485 kcal

Serving ≈ 350 g

Protein11 g10% of kcal
Fat41 g80% of kcal
Carbs12 g10% of kcal

100 g137 kcalProtein 3.2 gFat 11.5 gCarbs 3.4 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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