Provencal eggplant pie
8 servings
90 minutes
Provencal eggplant pie is a refined dish of Yugoslav cuisine that combines aromatic vegetables, creamy filling, and tender crumbly dough. It resembles traditional Mediterranean pies but stands out with bright notes of mustard and fragrant herbs. Eggplants baked to a golden crust give the pie a rich flavor, while sweet peppers and tomatoes add juiciness and freshness. Olives contribute a piquant touch, and the cheesy filling creates a velvety texture. This pie pairs wonderfully with chilled white or rosé wine, making for an ideal dinner on a summer evening. It can be served warm or cold, allowing one to enjoy its rich taste and aroma. The dish's history is rooted in Yugoslav culinary traditions where vegetables and herbs played a central role in home gastronomy.
1
Dough: mix 225 grams of white wheat flour, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 egg, salt, and pepper in a food processor or mixer until crumbly. You can add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Immediately place the dough in the refrigerator.
- Wheat flour: 225 g
- Olive oil: 6 tablespoons
- Chicken egg (large): 3 pieces
- Olive oil: 6 tablespoons
2
Filling: thinly slice eggplants and peppers, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and place in a preheated oven. Bake until the vegetables are soft and a brown crust forms.
- Eggplants: 5 piece
- Green bell pepper: 3 pieces
- Olive oil: 6 tablespoons
3
Slice the tomatoes into thin rings.
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
4
Prepare the filling: beat the eggs, sour cream, milk, and cheese, add garlic (pressed through a garlic press) and a handful of finely chopped herbs (parsley, marjoram, basil, oregano).
- Chicken egg (large): 3 pieces
- Sour cream 20%: 200 g
- Milk: 50 ml
- Russian cheese: 200 g
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Green: to taste
5
Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Roll it out in a form (I usually choose a form that I won't be ashamed to put on the table right away. Usually - transparent, rectangular, but a white ceramic one for cakes will also do). Since the dough crumbles, it's convenient to roll it out with a small rolling pin that easily maneuvers in the corners of the form. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the dough. Place sliced tomatoes on the mustard, then add prepared eggplants and peppers on top, and finally some sliced pitted olives.
- Grainy mustard: 2 tablespoons
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
- Eggplants: 5 piece
- Green bell pepper: 3 pieces
- Olive: 5 piece
6
Water the vegetables evenly. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 50-60 minutes (or until golden brown). Serve warm or cold with chilled white or rosé wine.