Eggplant, Mushroom and Meat Sauce Gratin
Translated from my original Japanese post (2018). 日本語の原文を読む →
It's Yoko, food blogger.
Today I'm sharing a recipe for eggplant, mushroom and meat sauce gratin!
Eggplant, mushroom and meat sauce gratin
Ingredients (serves 2)
| Eggplant | 2 |
|---|---|
| Shimeji mushrooms | 1/2 pack |
| Ground beef and pork mix | 200 g |
| Onion | 1/4 |
| Canned tomatoes | 1/2 can |
| Garlic | 1 clove |
| Shredded cheese | 1 handful |
| Olive oil | 2 tablespoons |
| Salt and pepper | a little |
1. Cut the eggplant into bite-size rounds. Trim the shimeji and separate them. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the eggplant. When it's browned and soft, take it out. Wipe the pan lightly, then add the ground meat, garlic, onion and shimeji and cook. When the meat has changed color and the onion is translucent, return the eggplant, mix, season with salt and pepper, add the canned tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.
3. Put step 2 into a gratin dish and top with the shredded cheese. Bake in a 250°C (480°F) oven for 7 to 8 minutes, until nicely browned.
Tips
Check that the eggplant is cooked through!
Eggplant is easy to undercook!!
If you stir-fry it over high heat, only the surface browns and the inside stays hard,
and it soaks up oil, so too much oil makes it soggy... It's tricky.
This is the ideal result.
- Juicy inside
- Golden brown surface
- Skin a pretty purple
To get there...
The purple of the skin (anthocyanin) turns brown when it reacts with water, so coat the eggplant with olive oil first, and it will keep its color.
Sprinkle a little salt while cooking (extra to the amount above) and add the olive oil a bit at a time. That draws the moisture out of the eggplant, keeps it juicy and stops it from soaking up the oil.
Everything else cooks easily, so you can be relaxed about the rest!
Just focus all your attention on the eggplant (lol).
Recommended wine
This recipe is also featured on Lekker Africa, a shop that sells South African wine.
I contribute wine comments and recipes there, and for this dish I recommend the Ataraxia Pinot Noir (red).
It has firm acidity and structure and the pure taste of the grape itself, a style you can enjoy while it's young.
It smells like strawberries and is light to drink, so I recommend it even if you don't usually drink wine!
I explain South African wine briefly below, so have a read if you're curious.
