Eggplant Tian Recipes

TOMATO AND EGGPLANT TIAN

Steps:

• Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant slices, season with salt and cook until golden on both sides. Remove to a plate and repeat with the onion slices.
• Rub a small flameproof baking dish with the garlic clove. Layer the eggplant, onions, and tomato slices in rows in the baking dish. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until heated through and the tomatoes are soft but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish and set the oven to broil. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the shredded cheese and broil to melt and brown the cheese, about another 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

VEGETABLE TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
• Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

SQUASH, EGGPLANT AND TOMATO TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Halve one peeled garlic clove and rub the bottom of a large baking dish with the cut side of the garlic. Coat the bottom of the dish with 2 tablespoons oil.
• Arrange vegetables in the dish, alternating them and overlapping them. Season with salt and pepper as you layer the vegetables. Scatter thyme on top and drizzle with remaining oil to coat generously. Add remaining garlic cloves, sliced, evenly over the top.
• Bake 25 minutes, then baste vegetables with the oil. Continue baking until tender and browned in places, about 25 minutes more. Serve warm.

EGGPLANT AND PEPPER TIAN ON FRIED EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place 1/2-teaspoon extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan and add garlic cloves and bacon. Cook until bacon is slightly crisp. Blot the salted eggplant with paper towels to dry slightly. Discard 1/2 of the fat and add the eggplant. Cook until tender, season with fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Drain and remove garlic.
• In 2 separate saute pans add the remaining extra virgin olive oil and gently saute the red and yellow peppers until tender. Season with salt, pepper, and basil chiffonade. Drain. Form the tians by placing a layer of eggplant in a ring mold and packing it down gently. Next, add a layer of red peppers, then eggplant, finishing up with yellow peppers. Pack everything down gently. Warm when ready to serve and place on a piece of fried eggplant.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant slices, season with salt and cook until golden on both sides.
• Remove to a plate and repeat with the onion slices.
• Rub a baking dish with the garlic halves, then discard.
• In the baking dish, layer the eggplant, onions, and tomato slices, alternating the vegetables in rows with slices overlapping.
• Drizzle a little more olive oil on top.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until heated through and the tomatoes are soft but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish and set the oven to broil.
• Remove foil and sprinkle the tomatoes with the shredded cheese. Broil to melt and brown the cheese, about 2 minutes.

SEASONAL VEGETABLE TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Spread in a 9-inch gratin or round baking dish.
• Arrange vegetables on leek in slightly overlapping circles, alternating zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and eggplant.
• Top with wine, 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake 30 minutes. Drizzle with remaining oil. Bake until vegetables are tender, 30 minutes more. Serve with Parmesan.

EGGPLANT TIAN

Steps:

• Arrange one layer of eggplant on a tray or baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle with some kosher salt. Turn eggplant over and salt other side. Cover eggplant with a layer of paper towels and top with another layer of eggplant, sprinkling with some kosher salt. Repeat layering with paper towels and remaining eggplant and kosher salt and let stand about 20 minutes. (Paper towels will absorb liquid from eggplant.) Preheat broiler.
• On an oiled baking sheet arrange one layer of eggplant and broil about 3 inches from heat until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, turn eggplant over and broil until pale golden and tender, about 2 minutes more. Transfer cooked eggplant to a platter and broil remaining eggplant in same manner.
• In a large non-stick skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until soft and pale golden, and transfer to a bowl. Add spinach to skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, tossing and turning with tongs, until wilted. Season spinach with salt and pepper and stir into onion.
• In a blender, pureé basil, garlic, and 6 tablespoons oil until smooth. Season basil mixture with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. and generously brush a 10-by-3 inch round cake pan with some oil. Line side and bottom of pan with a layer of eggplant. Brush eggplant with some basil mixture and spread some spinach mixture evenly over eggplant. Layer some tomato slices over spinach mixture and brush with some basil mixture. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, basil mixture, spinach mixture, and tomatoes in same manner, ending with a layer of tomatoes.
• Bake eggplant tian in middle of oven 20 minutes. Cool tian in pan on a rack 1 hour and invert onto a shallow serving dish. (Some liquid will drain from the tian.)

LEG OF ROASTED LAMB ON POTATO, EGGPLANT, AND TOMATO TIAN

Steps:

• Toss half of tomato slices with onions, eggplant, garlic, oregano, potatoes, salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Transfer to an oiled shallow 3-quart casserole, spreading evenly. Arrange remaining tomato slices on top. Roast, uncovered, in middle of oven 30 minutes.
• Prepare lamb:
• Trim lamb of all but a 1/4-inch layer of fat. Cut small slits all over lamb with a sharp small knife and put a slice of garlic into each slit. Rub lamb with some lemon juice and season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
• After tian has been roasting 30 minutes, put lamb on top of vegetables. Roast in middle of oven 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°F.
• Continue roasting, basting meat with cooking juices (baste with remaining lemon juice during last 30 minutes of roasting) until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat (do not touch bone) registers 135°F for medium-rare, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer meat to a cutting board, cover tian with foil, and let meat stand 15 minutes before carving. Spoon off any excess fat from tian and discard. Serve tian with lamb.

SUMMER SQUASH AND EGGPLANT TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F; brush a baking dish, such as a 9x13-inch baking pan or a shallow earthenware casserole, with olive oil.
• To toast the breadcrumbs, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over med-high heat in a small sauté pan.
• Add the dried bread crumbs and stir until the crumbs begin to brown and get crunchy, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let cool slightly; put the bread crumbs in a small bowl and stir in the garlic, thyme, parsley, and Parmesan; season bread crumbs to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Cut the stem off the eggplant, then slice it into ¼-inch rounds.
• Cut the stems off the squash and slice them into ¼ inch rounds, slightly on the bias for zucchini-type or slender squash; set aside.
• Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
• Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until soft, golden, and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread the onions in the bottom of the baking dish; layer the eggplant and squash, in alternate rows, overlapping the vegetables and pushing the rows together a bit as you work to make more room.
• You may have a few slices left over, depending on the shape of your baking dish.
• Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Bake, uncovered, until the vegetables are almost tender, about 45 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and sprinkle the prepared bread crumbs evenly on top.
• Return pan to oven and bake until the crumbs are golden and the vegetables are completely tender, about 25 minutes.
• Serve immediately, directly from the baking dish.

RED BELL PEPPER AND EGGPLANT TIAN WITH ANCHOVIES

Steps:

• Roast red bell peppers directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose peppers in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed roasted peppers; cut into scant 1/2-inch-wide strips. (Roasted bell peppers can be prepared ahead. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush each of 2 large baking sheets with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange eggplant rounds in single layer on baking sheets; sprinkle eggplant rounds on each baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake until eggplant begins to soften but not brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; maintain oven temperature.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs to skillet and sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
• Arrange half of eggplant rounds in single layer in 12 x 9 x 2-inch oval baking dish. Sprinkle eggplant rounds with half of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme and 3 tablespoons Niçois olives. Top with half each of thinly sliced plum tomatoes, anchovy fillets and roasted bell pepper strips, spacing evenly. Sprinkle lightly with salt and generously with black pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant rounds, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon thyme and 3 tablespoons Niçois olives. Top with remaining sliced plum tomatoes, spacing evenly, leaving 1 1/2-inch-wide space at edge of baking dish. Arrange remaining roasted red bell peppers and anchovies between tomato slices. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Niçois olives.
• Bake assembled tian 30 minutes. Sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs and remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme around edge of baking dish. Continue to bake tian until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Let tian stand 15 minutes. Serve tian hot or at room temperature.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil in a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Layer half the leeks in dish, then cover with half the potato; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Top with a layer each of half the eggplant, half the zucchini, and half the tomatoes; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Scatter with half the olives and half the thyme. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Repeat layering and seasoning with remaining vegetables. Drizzle with remaining oil, and cover loosely with foil.
• Bake 20 minutes, then remove foil. Press vegetables down with a spatula, and bake until potato is tender and edges are well caramelized, about 45 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing.