Vegetable Tian

Name: Vegetable Tian
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 4 garlic cloves (, finely minced with a knife); 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 eggplant ((aubergine), cut in half lengthways then sliced 8mm / 0.3” half moons (~380g / 13.5oz)); 3 zucchini ((courgette), sliced into 6mm / 0.25” rounds (~180g / 6oz each)); 3 red onion (, sliced into 3mm / 0.1” rounds (~140g / 5oz each) (use a mandolin if you have one)); 5 tomato (, sliced into 5mm / 0.2” rounds (~140g / 5oz each)); 2 tsp cooking / kosher salt (, (or half for table salt, +50% for flakes)); 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence

Prep 30 min Cook 40 min Serves 6 Source

Ingredients

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves (, finely minced with a knife)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 eggplant ((aubergine), cut in half lengthways then sliced 8mm / 0.3” half moons (~380g / 13.5oz))
3 zucchini ((courgette), sliced into 6mm / 0.25” rounds (~180g / 6oz each))
3 red onion (, sliced into 3mm / 0.1” rounds (~140g / 5oz each) (use a mandolin if you have one))
5 tomato (, sliced into 5mm / 0.2” rounds (~140g / 5oz each))
2 tsp cooking / kosher salt (, (or half for table salt, +50% for flakes))
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence

Steps

1
Sweat the eggplant and zucchini, spread oil, tomato paste and garlic in a dish. Arrange vegetables, alternating, drizzle/sprinkle with oil, Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Bake 40 minutes.
2
Preheat oven - Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan-forced).
3
Sweat eggplant and zucchini - Toss eggplant and zucchini slices in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place them in colander over bowl to sweat and leave to drain for about 10 minutes while you slice the remaining vegetables and prepare the baking dish. (Note 2)
4
Prepare baking dish - Spread 1 tbsp olive oil, tomato paste and half the garlic over the base of a ceramic baking dish (30cm x 20cm x 5cm / 12" x 8" x 2"). As the vegetables bake, they will release their juices which will mix into it to create a beautiful sauce underneath.
5
Season again - Give the colander a shake to remove excess water off the eggplant and zucchini (no need to pat them dry), then put them back into a bowl. A lot of salt comes off with the water, so toss with another 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
6
Layer vegetables - Arrange the vegetables vertically in the dish, alternating eggplant, zucchini, onion and tomato (I do it in this order). I usually make around 14 rows (the video is very useful here). Don't be afraid to pack the vegetables in quite tightly. They will shrink as they bake, so arranging them snugly together helps them stay upright. (Note 3)
7
Season top - Drizzle all-over with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with remaining garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, black pepper and Herbes de Provence.
8
Bake - Bake for 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned on the edges. Serve immediately, or leave to cool and serve at room temperature.