I ate this baked eggplant many times in Nafpaktos in central Greece. I was told by my study abroad program director that Nafpaktos has the best eggplant in Greece.
The caramelized onions add sweetness to the otherwise bitter eggplant. The great thing about this dish is that it’s so rustic, that you can easily alter the quantities of garlic, oil, onions, and oregano to suit your taste buds. Some people love a ton of garlic and they can do their thing. Some people might only use half a clove for the baked eggplant and that works too.
I’m usually pretty extravagant with the olive oil because it’s a purely vegetable dish so it needs a lot of olive oil. Get a crusty fresh loaf of bread to dip in the juices.
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George’s Culinary Perspective of Thessaloniki
Baked Eggplant with Caramelized Onions (Central Greece)
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- Oregano
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Slice eggplant lengthwise into ¼ inch slices and arrange on a plate. Salt the eggplant (about 1 teaspoon) and let sit.
- In a saute pan on medium, heat 2 Tablespoons oil. Cook the sliced onions in the oil stirring often for about 30 minutes until completely caramelized. Remove from pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel.
- In a rectangular baking dish drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil on the bottom. Add a small layer of chopped tomatoes.
- Then layer eggplant, caramelized onions, more tomatoes, garlic, oregano, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a small drizzle of oil (around 1 teaspoon for each layer).
- Continue layering until all ingredients are used up.
- Bake at 350 covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Serve as a side dish or an appetizer with bread to dip in the juices.
Nutrition
About the Author: George Zikos
What a simple dish but it tastes so amazing!
Thank you!