This Casserole Will Make You Fall In Love With Eggplant

In the new paperback edition of The Meat-Free Monday Cookbook, editor Annie Rigg has assembled recipes from renowned chefs to create a meatless three-meal plan for every Monday of the year.

Serves 3 to 4

This recipe uses verjuice, which is made from unripe grapes and was an important cooking ingredient in medieval times. It has recently been repopularized by Australian chef Maggie Beer. Being acidic, it can be used in much the same way as vinegar or lemon juice, for instance, in salad dressings or marinades, but it has a mellower, fruitier flavor.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Place the lentils and 6 cups of water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole dish, and cook the eggplant in batches until golden. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and a good pinch of salt, and cook, stirring every now and then to prevent the onion from burning, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions are a golden brown color.

4. Add the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and warm through. Pour in the verjuice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds, then remove from the heat and set aside.

5. Add half of the eggplant slices, sprinkle with half of the lentils, then add the rest of the eggplant and top with the rest of the lentils. Pour over the remaining olive oil and the pomegranate molasses.