Aubergine and Spinach Gratin

Another recipe for the Sinner and Saint collection. This is an oven dish loaded with vegetables, such as aubergine, spinach, tomatoes, onion and celery. It is also loaded with a creamy and cheesy bechamel sauce. The healthy and unhealthy are married in the oven till golden perfection.

I am making this on a weekday, which is just about do-able. The prep work took me 1 hour and cooking time in the oven is about 30 minutes.

This is what you will need for 2 (I thought I was making it for 4 but Stijn finished the whole thing. Mind you he is 1.97 m tall, so probably eats for 2):

Ingredients:

2 aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil
75 gram baby spinach

Tomato sauce

2 onions
3 celery stalks
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Bechamel cheese sauce

50 gram butter
60 gram flour
500 ml full fat milk
1 tsp mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
30 gram grated cheese. I use a combination of Gouda and Parmagiano Reggiano. If you are using parmesan, always buy the real deal and none of the pre grated stuff…or stuff that sounds like Parmagiano Reggiano but is not. Grana pardano is also a cheese from Italy from a different region, and is slightly younger, but it is not parmesan cheese, though still ok for this recipe. Anything other, like Parrano does not taste close to these cheeses. I leave 5 grams of parmesan to top the dish.

Method

Pre–heat the oven to 220 C.

Start with the aubergines and cut them in circles of about half a cm. Brush them with olive oil and cook in the oven for 15 minutes. I needed to do mine in 2 batches.

As your aubergines are cooking, start with the tomato sauce. Cut the onion roughly, the celery finely and push the garlic through a garlic press.

Start by frying the onions until soft and translucent. Add the celery and fry for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add the garlic and oregano and fry briefly. Add the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. At this point I fill the empty can of tomatoes with a bit of water and add it to the pan. Stir and let it simmer

Now start with the bechamel. I always make my own because it is super easy and fun.

Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Melt the butter and add the flour. Fry the flour, stirring frequently with a whisk. The flour should stay white though, as we are making a white sauce.

When the flour is done, start to slowly add the milk, a splash at the time. Stir continuously and don’t panic. It will start to form a ball first, and as you are adding milk slowly, it will become a sauce. You need to add the milk slowly to prevent lumps. Once the sauce is formed, add some mustard and the nutmeg. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, still stirring.