by Audrey
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It’s eggplant season, and that means this Provencal Eggplant Gratin is on repeat in my kitchen. This typical Southern French recipe includes tender slices of eggplants baked in-between layers of tomato sauce, spiked with Herbs de Provence and loads of Parmesan cheese. This is a fuss-free recipe that makes a great side or a perfect vegetarian dinner.
Cooking notes:
- When sourcing for eggplants, look for ones that are slightly firm, with a smooth skin and that feel heavy for their size. The stem is also a good indicator: it should be green. Sadly, a lot of eggplants I see in grocery stores have stems that are brown-ish or dried out.
- This is a fairly simple recipe, but it does require a bit of active time – especially the initial broiling of the eggplant slices. For this reason, this recipe may be best suited for weekends, rather than busy weeknights. Although the good news is that I think it tastes even better when made ahead and re-heated the next day (like a lot of gratins and saucy dishes do).
- Herbes de Provence is an essential ingredient in this recipe. It consists of a blend of dried herbs: savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and oregano. You can find Herbs De Provenceonline, in spice shops, bulk stores, and sometimes in grocery stores in the spice aisle.
- I like to use a round cast iron skillet for this recipe (10.5 to 12.5-inch is ideal). It provides a nice caramelization around the edges of the gratin. But you can also use a classic gratin dish or casserole.
I hope you’ll love this Provençal Eggplant Tomato Gratinas much as I do! It makes a great vegetarian dinner or a perfect side to serve with grilled meat or fish.
You may also like:
- Eggplant Caviar Dip
- Classic Tomatoes Farcies (Baked Ground Meat Stuffed Tomatoes)
- Classic French-Style Potato Salad
- Provençal Chickpea Salad with Olives, Anchovies and Celery
- French-Style Couscous Salad
Provençal Eggplant Tomato Gratin
Print Recipe
Serves: 8 people Prep Time: Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 4.7/5
( 10 voted )
Ingredients
2lbs/900g Eggplants (about 2 medium), sliced widthwise into 1/4 inch-thick rounds, end slices discarded
½ cup (125ml) Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 (28 fl.oz/796ml) Can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Herbs de Provence (+ extra for topping)
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, peeled (for the dish)
1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp bread crumbs
Instructions
Step 1 - Spread eggplant slices in one layer, sprinkle with salt (on both sides) and set aside for 45 minutes to allow the eggplants to “sweat” and loose their bitterness.
Step 2 - Pre-heat the broiler of your oven with a rack at the top. Pat eggplant dry and arrange slices in one single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush slices generously with EVOO on both sides. Eggplants absorb a lot of oil, do not hesitate to be generous. Pass the baking sheet under the broiler for about 4 minutes, until the eggplant looks golden and slightly softened. Quickly flip eggplant slices and broil for 4 more minutes (watch closely during broiling, the eggplant can burn quickly.) Set the eggplant slices aside and repeat the process until all the eggplant is cooked (this usually takes me 3 baking sheets worth).
Turn the broiler off, and pre-heat your oven to 350F/180C with a rack in the middle.
Step 3 - In a medium sized sauce pan, over medium heat, heat up 1 tablespoon (15ml) of EVOO and cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until lightly caramelized. Add diced tomatoes, Herbs de Provence, basil, black pepper, salt and cook for about 20 minutes at a low simmer, until 1/3 of the liquid has dissolved and it looks much thicker.
Step 4 - Rub a gratin dish or skillet with a crushed garlic clove. Drizzle 1 tbsp of EVOO and rub to coat evenly. To assemble, arrange a layer of eggplant slices in overlapping rows at the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover with a third of the tomato sauce and a third of the Parmesan. Repeat this process twice, finishing with the last third of tomato sauce and Parmesan. Top with breadcrumbs, an extra sprinkle of Herbs de Provence and salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for 40 minutes. Finish with 2 minutes under the broiler to brown the top. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
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Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment below, rate the recipe and/or share a photo on Instagram: tag@pardonyourfrenchand hashtag it#pardonyourfrench. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see myfor more details.
You may also like
Eggplant Caviar Dip (Caviar d’Aubergine)
Strawberry Oat Bars (Carrés aux fraises)
Classic French Salad Recipes
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26 comments
Lisa August 17, 2020 - 6:55 pm
Hi! I would like to receive your newsletter! Thank you!
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Audrey September 23, 2020 - 1:35 pm
Hi There! I meant to add your contact details to receive the newsletter, but it did say you already signed up 🙂 (probably after you posted this comment).
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Nathan June 26, 2022 - 4:00 pm
Made for the first time this morning. Excellent recipe–will make again.
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Audrey July 3, 2022 - 4:57 am
Thank you!
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Joanne September 15, 2020 - 11:53 pm
Made this today! My first time making it and it was a winner! 9 out of 10!
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Audrey September 17, 2020 - 6:37 pm
Amazing, thanks Joanne!
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Colin March 23, 2021 - 12:04 am
Audrey, I mistakenly rated this recipe 2-starts when trying to click it to see the reviews. My apologies, it will not let me change it!
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Audrey March 23, 2021 - 11:03 am
No worries Colin, thank you for letting us know! Leaving a comment is good too!
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Susan August 6, 2021 - 5:31 am
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Even my husband who is not much of an eggplant fan had several helpings. I cut the recipe in half cause there’s just the two of us and it worked great. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe.
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Audrey August 6, 2021 - 10:54 am
Fantastic, thank you Susan!
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Doreen Fiorillo September 9, 2021 - 10:07 pm
Made this dish last night, absolutely delicious, really enjoyed it ! First time I “salted” eggplant, and will start doing this process when needed. I thought it improved the texture of the eggplant in the final dish. I’m making the Cod Provencal with tomatoes, capers dish this evening. Thanks, Audrey
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Audrey September 10, 2021 - 1:08 pm
Thank you for your feedback Doreen, so glad to hear you enjoyed this dish!
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Lindy July 11, 2022 - 2:48 pm
Interesting and lovely recipes
Thank you
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Audrey July 14, 2022 - 4:51 am
thank you!
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Darlene August 7, 2022 - 3:50 pm
Where in France do you come from? I would like some other refreshing French Dishes from you as I will be ordering your books in the near future.
Thank you!
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Audrey August 7, 2022 - 6:45 pm
I’m originally from (and back living in) Bretagne, in the Northwest of France. In english, it’s more commonly known as “Brittany”. I live right along the coast. I love it!
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Richard December 16, 2022 - 3:30 pm
This was a very tasty recipe that took me about 45 minutes to serve from start to finish as I didn’t sweat the eggplant slices, and rarely do for most dishes. I added about a cup of white wine to simmer the tomato/onion/herb mixture to add a bit of flavor and create a chunky sauce. I did top the whole thing with home-made breadcrumbs and spayed the top with olive oil to help creat even browning under the broiler. The dish went extremely well with slow-braised lamb shanks Provencal and I highly recommend you try this easy recipe.
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Audrey December 17, 2022 - 9:41 am
Thanks, Richard! Those personal touches sound amazing and especially to accompany a braised lamb shank Provencal. Love a little kiss from the broiler as well!
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Linda May 21, 2023 - 2:29 pm
Do you think I could use the air fryer to prepare the egg plant before assembling the dish?
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Audrey May 22, 2023 - 12:43 pm
Hello, Linda! While I have never used an airfryer before, I have heard some great things about them, and think you could prep the eggplants ahead of time using one at the unit’s highest temperature.
Perhaps try one slice to start, just to get an idea on the timing. But overall I see no reason why it wouldn’t work out.
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Anonymous May 29, 2023 - 11:34 am
This was so delicious, I made it twice in a week. If you don’t like eggplant, try it anyway: you will love eggplant after tasting this!
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Audrey May 30, 2023 - 7:52 am
Super kind words, thank you so much! Couldn’t agree with you more about this one… If there’s a dish that’ll turn someone into an eggplant lover, this might be it!
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Annette June 5, 2023 - 1:17 pm
Clear instructions got me to a delicious meal. Excellent recipe!
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Audrey June 5, 2023 - 3:01 pm
Merci, Annette! That’s my main goal with this blog, so I’m glad to know it was mission accomplished! I hope you’ll get to try other recipes soon.
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Gaynor Saunders August 4, 2023 - 5:53 pm
Made this for supper tonight, quite labour intensive but so worth it. Will have again! Just returned from 2 weeks in Perigord region and made us wish to be back in France!
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Audrey August 4, 2023 - 7:05 pm
Thank you so much, Gaynor! Knowing a recipe transported you back to France is the ultimate compliment! It does take a bit of prep, but as you said… So worth it!
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Audrey
Bonjour ! I'm Audrey Le Goff, a French cookery writer, photographer, creator of the blog Pardon your French, and cookbook author of Rustic French Cooking Made Easy.
