Stuffed Eggplants: A Delicious Recipe.
Stuffed eggplants are a Provençal specialty to be made in the summer, using seasonal eggplants and tomatoes. These eggplants, hollowed out and filled with a flavorful stuffing, are cooked in a casserole dish in tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Here are the necessary ingredients to make stuffed eggplants for 4 people:
- 8 small eggplants
- 6 slices of cooked ham
- 1 small can of button mushrooms
- 1 small white onion
- 2 eggs
- garlic and parsley
- grated cheese
- breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- 1 kg of ripe tomatoes
- Herbes de Provence
- salt and pepper
Note: We recommend choosing small eggplants as they have fewer seeds. You should plan for two eggplants per person.
Preparing eggplants
Preparing stuffed eggplants takes time, but it offers a complete and delicious dish.
1- Wash the eggplants.
2- Cut off the top part of each vegetable. You can keep this "hat" to close the stuffed vegetables, but it's not mandatory. In this recipe, we preferred to sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of the eggplants.
3- Scoop out the eggplants with a small spoon to remove the seeds and some of the flesh. Set aside the hollowed-out eggplants as shown in the photo below.
Stuffing preparation
For this stuffed eggplant recipe, you need to prepare a good stuffing with ham, cheese, parsley, and eggs to bind it all together.
1- Finely chop the cooked ham, button mushrooms, and white onion.
2- Mix everything in a bowl and add the whole eggs to bind the stuffing.
3- Season the mixture to your liking with parsley, grated cheese, salt, and pepper.
Assembly and cooking of stuffed eggplants
1- Fill the eggplants with the stuffing, using a small spoon. Press down on the top.
2- Pour breadcrumbs onto a plate. Turn each stuffed eggplant onto the plate, pressing firmly. This step helps to pack the stuffing and seal the top of the stuffed vegetable with breadcrumbs.
3- Wash, peel, and seed the tomatoes. Cut them into cubes and set aside.
4- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Place the eggplants with the breadcrumb side down in the hot oil.
5- Once the top is grilled, flip the eggplants and cook them on all sides. They should be well grilled. Cook for approximately 15 minutes.
6- Add the diced tomatoes, then season with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.
7- Cook covered for another 30 minutes.
Tasting advice
Stuffed eggplants are usually served with a starch such as rice or pasta.
Serve one to two eggplants per person, generously topping the plates with homemade tomato sauce.
