Aubergines a la Toulousaine

From Toulouse in the south of France, this simple vegetarian bake layers sauteed eggplant and fresh tomatoes in alternating rows, finished with a golden breadcrumb and Parmesan crust.

The 30-minute salting step at the start is worth doing. Slicing the eggplant, salting generously, and letting it sit on paper towels draws out excess moisture and bitterness. Blot the slices dry before they go into the pan. Wet eggplant steams instead of browning, and you want that golden color on each slice.

Saute the eggplant first, in batches if needed, adding oil as required since eggplant absorbs it readily. Then the tomatoes go briefly into the same pan. The layered assembly is four layers total in the baking dish, each one seasoned with salt and pepper before the next goes down.

The topping is fresh bread cubes (not dried crumbs) tossed with parsley, garlic, and Parmesan. Fresh cubes stay chewy at the center while the outside crisps golden in the oven. The contrast of soft layered vegetables underneath and crunchy breadcrumb topping is what makes this dish.

Pro Tips

• Don’t rush the salting step. The full 30 minutes makes the eggplant noticeably less bitter and prevents a waterlogged bake.
• Sauté eggplant in a single layer without crowding. Piled slices steam rather than brown.
• Use ripe, in-season tomatoes when possible. They hold their shape better and have more flavor than watery off-season ones.
• Bake uncovered so the bread cube topping crisps properly.