Tian of Eggplant, Tomato, and Fresh Cheese

Name: Tian of Eggplant, Tomato, and Fresh Cheese
Yield: Serves 4 to 5
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised; 1 egg; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ⅓ cup milk; 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour; ½ cup soft cheese, such as ricotta or fresh goat cheese, at room temperature; ½ cup chopped spring bulb onion, green or bunching onion, or fat scallions; ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1 bay leaf; 2 fresh thyme sprigs; 1½ ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (⅓ cup); 2 pinches of sugar; ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 6 small ripe tomatoes (about 1½ pounds); Coarse salt; 1¼ pounds long, slender eggplants

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 5

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

By Paula Wolfert

Published 2009

About

Here is a personal favorite, a tian of ripe summer vegetables at their peak—layers of small heirloom tomatoes, sweet bulb onions, thin-skinned eggplant, and fresh salty cheese such as ricotta or chèvre. I like to prepare this tian in the morning and serve it no sooner than 6 hours after it has emerged from the oven, allowing time for the flavors to meld. It should be left at room temperature; refrigeration diminishes the taste.

My method of setting the tian in a preheated clay-lined