Greek Eggplant Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 eggplants
• Salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 700 g waxy potatoes (cooked the day before)
• 400 g Tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 30 g Butter
• 30 g spelt flour type 1050
• 500 ml milk (3.5% fat)
• black pepper (ground fresh)
• 2 Eggs
• 130 g hard cheese (Graviera or Kefalotiri)
• 1 tsp freshly chopped oregano
• 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme

Instructions

1. 1.

   Clean, wash and slice eggplants lengthwise into 1 cm thick slices. Sprinkle generously with salt and let soak for about 20 minutes to draw out water. Pat dry with paper towels. In a grill pan, cook in 2 tbsp hot oil, turning until browned.

2. 2.

   Slice the day‑old potatoes into 2 cm thick rounds. Wash tomatoes, pat dry, remove stems, and slice. Peel onion and garlic, then finely dice them.

3. 3.

   Heat butter in a small saucepan. Sauté onion and garlic cubes over medium heat until translucent, sprinkle with flour, and cook until lightly golden. Gradually whisk in milk, bring to a boil, and let thicken. Season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.

4. 4.

   Remove béchamel from the stove. Whisk eggs and stir into the warm but not boiling béchamel. Grate cheese. Fold half of the grated cheese into the sauce and season with salt to taste.

5. 5.

   Grease a large baking dish with the remaining olive oil. Layer eggplant slices with potato and tomato rounds in the dish, sprinkling each layer with oregano, thyme, and a bit of sauce. Finish with an eggplant layer and top with the remaining cheese.

6. 6.

   Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan‑forced; gas: level 3) for 35–40 minutes. Remove and serve warm.