eggplant

RUSTIC GALETTE 

WITH EGGPLANT 

When I talk about the ‘Southern Trio’ I am referring to the holy trinity of eggplant, zucchini, and tomato. Think Provence or Sicily and how prominently this combination figures into their regional cuisine. In this dish however, the eggplant is definitely the star.

I guarantee that this rustic savoury galette is so delicious and charming, you’d think you were transported to the sunny Mediterranean. The unctuous savouriness of the eggplant combined with the mellow crunch of the zucchini, and the juicy freshness of the tomatoes alongside the flaky buttery pastry makes for a truly heavenly dish.

RUSTIC SOUTHERN TRIO GALETTE

SHORTCRUST PASTRY: for a simple fail-proof shortcrust pastry recipe go to http://tattyapron.blogspot.ca/2013/05/stinging-nettle-quiche.html 

If making only enough pastry for one galette, simply halve the measurements.

 

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING:

3 Tbs olive oil

½ onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely diced

½ large eggplant, diced into small cubes

1 medium zucchini, diced into small cubes

100 ml tomato passata

1 whole tomato, sliced into 1 cm slices

grated Gruyère, or any good quality cheese which melts nicely

salt and pepper

1 egg yolk, whisked

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. In a pan, heat up the olive oil on medium heat, then sauté the eggplant until it begins to become translucent and is just beginning to soften. 
3. To this, you add your onions, followed by the garlic. Let them cook gently together until they are soft and brown, but not burnt. 
4. Stir in the tomato passata and let simmer on low heat for about 15- 20 minutes adding a bit of water if you find that the mixture is drying out. 
5. Towards the end stir in your finely chopped zucchini, season well with salt and pepper, let mingle for a minute then take off the heat. Set aside to cool.
6. If you kept the pastry in the freezer make sure you have defrosted it overnight in the refrigerator. Roll out your short crust pastry onto a clean and lightly flowered surface into a relatively thin round shape. You can be meticulous and trim the edges to form a perfectly round disc but this is a rustic dish and I personally like the rough uneven edges, c’est très charmant.
7. Transport the pastry to a large backing tray lined with parchment paper. Using a fork, prick around the base of the pastry. Take your filling and spoon it onto the middle of your pastry, leaving about 3 inches off the edges free. Cover with a shaving of Grueyere cheese and top with the tomato slices. Add a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
8. Now, fold up the uncovered border over the edge of your filling into pleats then brush the egg yolk onto the crust. This will give it an irresistible sheen and will help seal the pleats.
9. Place in a 400 F oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
10. Let cool for a few minutes, sprinkle with chopped parsley or basil.