This typical Catalan recipe is actually a bread dough covered with eggplant and / or red peppers which have been baked in an oven, spread with Olive Oil and sprinkled with garlic.
Ingredients for 4 People:
For the dough:
- 300 g white bread flour
- 1 sachet dried yeast
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
For the Topping:
- 4 small Aubergines or Eggplants, sliced
- 6 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 handful pitted black olives
Put the flour in a big bowl and mix in the yeast, a pinch of sugar and salt. Add 225 ml (1cup) hand-hot water with the oil and mix to a dough. don’t hesitate to add a little flour if too wet. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until silky and no more sticky.
Oil a clean bowl and put in your dough ball and Cover. Let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until the dough had doubled in size.
Meanwhile, put the Aubergines/Eggplants slices in a colander layered with a sprinkling of salt and leave for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 410°F.
Rinse the Aubergines/Eggplants slices and lay them to dry on paper towel then place onto a tray and toss with 3 Tbsp of the oil. Heat a grill pan and griddle the slices for 2 minutes each side until striped golden. Then, put back on the tray until they are all done.
When the dough is ready, tip onto a floured surface, knead briefly, then press the dough into the oiled tin right to the corners. Mix the garlic paste with 1 Tbsp oil.
Spread the tomato slices onto the dough, add the garlic paste, then the aubergines/eggplants and drizzle with the remaining oil and the pitted olives. Bake for 15 minutes or until you get a golden-brown and fluffy crust. Enjoy, hot or cold !
