This is a specialty of Arles, France, also known as Eggplant en Estrasse. I learned it at the cooking class I took in July 1998. The servings are listed as “For 5 good friends.”

• 2.5 lbs Eggplant
• 2.5 lbs Tomatoes, peeled, cut, and crushed
• 1 Onion
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed and minced (or pressed)
• 3 Bay Leaves
• Olive Oil
• S&P

Eggplant

1. Slice the eggplant in lengths, about 1/2“ thick. Salt them on a rack over a plate to remove bitterness and excess water for 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. When ready to cook, rinse them under water to remove salt, pat dry with paper towels.
3. Fry in 1/4” of olive oil until lightly brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Tomato Coulis

• While eggplant is salted, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic and bay leaves. Let simmer 40 minutes.
• Add water if necessary and S&P to taste

Serve

1. Serve eggplant on shallow platter with sauce.