Mallorquín Casserole of Eggplant, Peppers, Sardines, ana Potatoes with Caramelized Tomatoes

Late last summer I finally tasted the famous Majorcan dish tumbet. Tumbet, which literally means “flattened,” is an uncomplicated, oven-baked casserole of fried eggplant, peppers, and potatoes, topped with a thick, delicious sauce of fried ripe caramelized tomatoes and sometimes garnished with pieces of fish. It's a bit like a Provençal ratatouille without the herbs, a Tunisian chachouka without the harissa, Sicilian caponata without the capers and olives, despite which it isn