Eggplants from the oven

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 onions
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 can of tomato paste, approx. 70 g
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 can tomatoes, chopped, approx. 400 g
• 350 ml water
• 2 tbsp oregano, dried
• 1 large eggplant(s)
• 200 g sheep’s cheese
• 1 liter of oil for frying
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder, sweet

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Melitzanes Fournou, vegetarian

Wash and dry the eggplant, and trim off the stem. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into approximately 2-3 mm thick slices. Place the slices side by side on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt to draw out the water. Peel the onions and roughly dice them. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and sprinkle with the cinnamon powder. Sauté the onions with the cinnamon for approximately 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and honey. Caramelize and deglaze with a little water. Once the water has evaporated, add the tomato pulp and water (simply fill the can with water). Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano and simmer on the lowest heat with the lid on for at least 30 minutes. The longer the cooking time, the better the tomato sauce will be. Heat the oil in a deep pan (at least 4 cm) until the oil reaches a depth of approximately 0.5-1 cm. Pat the eggplant slices dry with kitchen paper. Add 3-4 eggplant slices to the pan (as many as will fit side by side) and fry until golden brown, turning halfway through. Then place the slices on kitchen paper to absorb any excess fat. Repeat with the remaining slices, adding more oil as needed. Preheat the oven to 200°C (top/bottom heat). Line a baking dish with the eggplant slices and cover with the tomato sauce. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and the sauce. There should be at least 2, preferably 3, layers of eggplant slices. Cover the final layer of tomato sauce with crumbled feta cheese. Bake the dish on the middle rack of the oven for about 30 minutes. Serve with fresh white bread. This recipe comes from my friend Anna Karoutsou, who runs the wonderful fish restaurant “Anna’s Taverna” in Nas on the island of Ikaria.