La Bohémienne

A Provençal baked eggplant and tomato dish. Low-carb friendly.

I will be on vacation for the last two weeks of August. I will start publishing my recipes again in early September. Thank you for your understanding, and I wish you all a great end of the holiday season!

Bonjour and welcome to this recipe no. 21.

Bohémienne comes to us from Vaucluse, one of Provence's departments, as a specialty well anchored in our terroir. This authentic recipe marries eggplant and tomatoes in equal parts, with a few anchovies to enhance the whole, all bound by milk and flour in ancestral tradition.

But you know as I do that each corner of Provence has its secrets. Recipes travel from village to village, transforming through the hands that shape them. The one I share with you today is the one I learned, the one that grew with me: a generous homemade tomato concassé, tomatoes in greater quantity than eggplant, and that Parmesan gratin that perfects the whole.

This is my Bohémienne, the one that warms my table and conquers my guests.

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La Bohémienne

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Ingredients

• 3 large eggplants

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

• 50 ml olive oil (about 3½ tbsp / 1.7 fl oz)

• 200 g smoked bacon bits (about 7 oz)

• 1 small sprig of thyme, crumbled

• Fine sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Tomato concassé (see recipe here)

• Freshly grated¹ Parmesan cheese (as much as you like)

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Instructions

1. Wash, dry, and cut 3 large eggplants into small cubes.

2. Peel and finely chop 3 garlic cloves.

3. In a large skillet, heat 50 ml of olive oil (about 3½ tbsp) over medium heat.

4. Add 200 g of smoked bacon bits (about 7 oz), the diced eggplants, the chopped garlic, and 1 crumbled sprig of thyme.

5. Sauté for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the eggplant is nicely golden.

6. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Stir, cover, and let cook for another 15 minutes over low heat.

7. Add the tomato concassé.

8. Simmer uncovered on low for 30 minutes, until well reduced.

9. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), convection mode if available.

10. Transfer the eggplant mixture to a baking dish.

11. Generously grate fresh Parmesan over the surface.

12. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden.

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Thank you for reading, let me know what you think in the comments!

1. When freshly grated, Parmesan is more flavorful because it retains its aromas better.