Aubergine (eggplant) cake

 Recipe from chef patrick

Ingredients :
Aubergine (eggplant) cake for 6 persons :
3 nice shining aubergines (eggplants)
2 big onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 degermed and thinly sliced and chopped garlic cloves
2 slices of farmhouse bread (or 4 of sandwich loaf) dipped into 1/10 liter (3 fl oz) milk
4 filets of anchovies preserved in oil and then chopped into small squares
15 centiliters (5 fl oz) liquid cream
5 eggs (whites and yolks)
table salt
semi-hot red pepper powder
1/10 liter (3 fl oz) olive oil
2 table spoonfulls of chopped parley + 2 of chopped basil
a little thyme

Direction :
1/get rid (cut) of the stems of the aubergines, them slice the aubergines into 2 halfes by their lenght, salt the pulp and lay them down on a grid (the salted face down) to drain during half an hour
2/heat a large fryingpan with the olive oil. Dry the aubergine halves and put them (the pulp down) into the pan to cook them during 5 minutes, then drain them on the grid and keep the oil in the pan
3/in the same pan, gently cook (without any colour) the onions, garlic, a little thyme, salt and pepper during 10 minutes, covered with a lid
4/in the meantime, core (hollow out) with a large spoon with care the aubergine halfes, kept the pulp apart and lay the skins onto a plate
5/pour the aubergine pulp into the onion mixture into the pan and continue the cooking of the whole during 15 additional minutes
6/in the meantime, in a large salad bowl, put the bread dampened with milk and coarsly cut, add the anchovies, the liquid cream, the herbs and the beaten (like for making an omelette) eggs and blend the whole well in order to make a stuffing
7/then mix (not too thinly) the onion aubergine cooked mixture and incorporate it into the other mixture of the salad bowl. Season well with salt and red pepper and let it rest during 10 minutes
8/pre-heat the oven at 392°F
9/cover the bottom of a Teflon cake mould with the peels of the aubergines (shiny side on bottom)
10/fill the mould with the stuff mixture and put it in a bain marie (the mould must be half immerged into hot water)
11/cook the cake during 45 minutes, then switch off the oven and keep the mould in the oven during 1 hour before taking it off the oven
12/demould the cake and serve it sliced, cold, warm or hot with a red pepperoni or lightly spiced tomatoe purée (coulis)