Balkan Aubergines with Cheese

Name: Balkan Aubergines with Cheese
Yield: Serves Four to Six
Cuisine: Israeli
Ingredients: about ⅛ of a nutmeg, freshly grated cayenne pepper; 500 ml/17 fl oz/2¼ cups hot milk; 4 large (US extra large) eggs, lightly beaten; 30 ml/2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour; 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter; about 60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil; 400 g/14 oz/3½ cups grated cheese, such as Kashkaval, Gruyère, or a mixture of Parmesan and Cheddar; salt and ground black pepper; 2 large aubergines (eggplants), cut into 5mm/¼ in thick slices

Preparation info

Serves
Four to Six

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Complete Guide to Traditional Jewish Cooking

By Marlena Spieler

Published 2016

About

This wonderful Bulgarian–Israeli dish of layered aubergines is cloaked in a thick cheese sauce that, when cooked, produces a wonderful soufflé-like mixture. It is delicious eaten hot but even better served cold, cut into squares. It is often eaten for Shabbat, or may feature at a summer picnic or afternoon gathering.

Ingredients

2 large aubergines (eggplants), cut into 5mm/¼ in thick slices
about 60 ml/4 tbsp

Europe
Asia
Israel
Bulgaria
Main course
Eastern Europe
Mediterranean
Vegetarian
Summer

Method

Layer the aubergine slices in a bowl or colander, sprinkling each layer with salt, and leave to drain for at least 30 minutes. Rinse well, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the aubergine slices until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.