Cut the aubergines into thin
slices - I don't remove the purple peel, but you can if you
like. Salt them and leave them to drain. Peel and cut the
potatoes into thin slices. Weight them down in a bowl of
salted water with an inverted plate. Pour oil into a frying
pan and fry the aubergines on one side and then on the other.
You want them evenly brown. Drain your potato slices, and fry
them after the aubergines. Remove the fried veggies to a paper
towel lined pan. You want to drain off as much oil as
possible.
While the veggies are draining, make the sauce. Heat the
oil in a pot. Brown your ground beef with the garlic and
onions. Add your tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook on
low heat for about 20 minutes.
O.K., so far, so good. Now lets get ready to assemble the
thing. Take a large pan, make sure it fits your oven, and is
at least 3 inches deep. Line the bottom of it with a layer of
potatoes. Next, add a layer of aubergines, and top it with
half of the sauce. Now, do it again. That's potatoes,
aubergines and sauce. You should have a good looking
casserole.
Now for the crowning touch, the Bιchamel Sauce. You have to
make what's called a roux. Melt the butter in a pot. Add the
flour and mix constantly with a wire whisk. It will look like
bubbling cake batter (roux). Add some salt and pepper, and a
dash of nutmeg, if you desire. Add the milk, and remember, you
have to keep whisking constantly while cooking until the sauce
thickens. Pour it over the casserole and sprinkle with grated
cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until the top
crust has browned.
Susie's Note: For a real time saver, if
you have a deep fryer, plug it in and fry the potato slices
while the aubergines are doing their thing. I don't recommend
using it for the aubergines though, as they soak up too much
oil.
