Original: English

Eggplant and Meat Gratin

This meat gratin is the best way to enjoy seasonal eggplants. Using only common household seasonings, it achieves an authentic, restaurant-quality taste. The melt-in-your-mouth texture of the eggplant is irresistible. Try this dish at home!

Steps

Finely chop 1/2 onion. Make shallow cuts lengthwise, then slice thinly without cutting through the root, and mince finely from the edge.
🕒 00:18
Finely chop 1/3 carrot (approx. 70g). Trim the ends for easier cutting, slice thinly, cut into sticks, and then mince finely from the edge.
🕒 00:48
Finely chop 2 cloves garlic. Cut off the tough root end, halve lengthwise to remove the germ, slice thinly, and then mince finely.
🕒 01:40
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add oil.
🕒 02:25
Add 150g ground pork to the frying pan and cook until browned.
🕒 02:34
Once the ground pork is browned, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and flip the meat.
🕒 02:51
Add the minced onion, carrot, and garlic to the pan with the flipped ground pork.
🕒 03:01
Add another pinch of salt and sauté well until the vegetables are softened. [Key Tip!] This quickly removes moisture from the vegetables, concentrating their sweetness and umami.
🕒 03:17
Pour in 200cc red wine and reduce until the bottom of the pan is visible, scraping with a spatula.
🕒 03:41
Once reduced, add 1 can diced tomatoes and reduce heat to low.
🕒 04:02
Add 2 tsp consommé (1 cube if using), 1 tsp sugar, and 2 pinches salt (or 2g). [Key Tip!] Adding sugar enhances the acidity of the tomatoes.
🕒 04:16
Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, allowing the tomato moisture to evaporate.
🕒 04:36
Prepare the eggplants. Trim the very ends of 2 eggplants, then scrape off the tough parts of the skin. [Key Tip!] Fresh eggplants have firm prickles on the stem.
🕒 04:41
Wrap each prepared eggplant tightly in plastic wrap.
🕒 05:19
Microwave the plastic-wrapped eggplants for 3 minutes. [Key Tip!] Wrapping in plastic wrap and microwaving allows the eggplant to cook through while retaining moisture, resulting in a creamy texture.
🕒 05:29
Grease a gratin dish with butter. [Key Tip!] Butter adds flavor and prevents food from sticking.
🕒 05:39
Carefully remove the microwaved eggplants from the plastic wrap (beware of steam). Cut each eggplant into about 8 pieces. [Key Tip!] Microwaving before pan-frying minimizes oil absorption, allowing for a crispy exterior and creamy interior with less oil.
🕒 05:54
Check the reduced meat sauce (prepared in step 12).
🕒 06:38
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add about 1 tbsp oil, and sauté the cut eggplants, starting with the skin side down.
🕒 06:53
Once the skin is shiny, flip the eggplant and brown the surface for a nice sear. [Key Tip!] Sautéing in oil at the end creates a crispy exterior and a creamy interior.
🕒 07:10
Arrange the sautéed eggplant in the buttered gratin dish, covering the bottom.
🕒 07:35
Spoon the finished meat sauce (checked in step 18) over the eggplant.
🕒 07:43
Generously sprinkle with melting cheese.
🕒 07:57
Bake in a 200°C (400°F) oven until the cheese is melted. If you don't have an oven, microwave until piping hot and the cheese is melted.
🕒 08:03