Creamy Tomato Chicken and Eggplant Bake

This creamy tomato chicken and eggplant bake is the perfect bridge between seasons with a flourish of Mediterranean flavors like fresh tomato and eggplant in a creamy and hearty sauce that still delivers all the comfort you want, even on a weeknight.

It's finally warming up in Amsterdam after what felt like an exceptionally long blah season. We had a sunny weekend and enjoyed more more summery dishes, the highlight for me being salt cod croquettes with roasted red pepper remoulade.

Returning to the weekday grind on Monday I was surprised to see it was sunny when 5 o'clock rolled around and it was time for dinner.

So I decided on something to hit that in between feeling - a little bit of summer Mediterranean flavor from fresh tomatoes and eggplant, but keeping one foot in cozy comfort food with a creamy base.

It's a nice balance for between the seasons and although there are a few preliminary steps, it isn't a crazy amount of prep for a weeknight.

The tomatoes smelled amazing while I was cutting them and I noticed some of their seeds had sprouted. A sure sign that it has indeed been warmer in my kitchen.

Quick Summary

• The chicken is quick marinated in salt and garlic then browned along with the eggplant - then they're both set aside while you make a quick sauce.
• Fresh tomatoes are diced up to make the sauce along water, no-sodium bouillon, seasonings and a bit of cream to make it extra rich.
• Cook the tomato sauce on stovetop until reduced then put back in the chicken and eggplant plus the chickpeas. Bake and it's ready!

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• Quick Summary
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Serving Suggestion
• Related
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs boneless skinless: You can also use bone in chicken thighs. If you use skin-on chicken thighs then I recommend browning a bit longer so the skin and fat render a bit more. Check halfway through baking and see if the skin is browning and if not, then cook uncovered (just keep an eye on it if the sauce reduces too much - if so add a bit more water)
• Eggplant: When drained of excess water eggplant takes on a creamy and luxurious texture.
• Tomatoes: Tomato season is upon us and there's nothing like cooking with fresh tomatoes. That said, feel free to substitute a can of crushed tomatoes instead. The tomatoes add the body to the sauce.
• Heavy cream: The cream brings richness into the tomato sauce.
• Water and a no-sodium bouillon cube: Water and bouillon finish off the tomato sauce by increasing it's volume while adding flavor. You can also use chicken stock or broth if you have it on hand. If you use bouillon with salt, be sure to adjust the salt indication in the recipe.
• Presoaked chickpeas: I usually keep presoaked beans in the freezer for just such an occasion but I can imagine not everyone does. You can either quick soak the chickpeas (bring to boil, boil 1-2 minutes and then turn off heat, cover and soak 1 hour) or you can use canned.
• Butter and oil: Butter brings flavor but oil helps brown the eggplant and chicken (the smoke point of butter is too low to get through this much browning).
• Garlic: Garlic rounds out all these beautiful Mediterranean flavors.
• Salt and black pepper: Simple but effective.
• Dried summer savory: Dried summer savory is probably my favourite herb. It's a bit like earthier thyme. If you don't have it you can substitute dried thyme, dried oregano, or a mix of the two.

Equipment

For this recipe it's really helpful to have a relatively large oven safe pot with a lid that can also go on the stovetop. This way you can do all the prep in one pot and don't need to dirty more dishes.

I used my 3.3 litre / 3.5 quart Le Creuset braiser which is great because it has a wider surface area than a Dutch oven and so you get more of that dry heat flavor development. But a regular Dutch oven is also a good option.

Instructions

The sequence of this recipe maximizes the prep time by doing things in a specific order.

If you start with the chicken it allows time for the chicken to marinade a bit while you prepare the other vegetables. Even this few minutes of marinating allows the salt to begin to tenderize the chicken proteins.

Sprinkle half the salt on the chicken and then add the mashed garlic. Use your hands to rub it all in. Really get in there.

Once you're satisfied that the chicken is properly coated, set it aside. Wash hands and onto the next step.

You're going to cut the eggplant into medallions. They don't have to be too thin. Sprinkle them with the rest of the salt, and toss to coat. Set them aside.

As they sit the salt works to draw water out, which will help them reduce in volume and take on a creamy and rich texture.

With the eggplant done, dice up the tomatoes. Again, they don't have to be diced too finely. This recipe isn't about perfection or refinement.

After you've diced the tomatoes you'll already notice the eggplants have started 'sweating'. You'll need to remove this moisture.

You can do this the conventional way by using paper towel to blot off the water. Or you can do it the no-waste way and use your hands.

Gently but firmly squeeze the eggplants until they release water. You'll feel when they are tapped out.

Now that all the prep is done - it's time to cook. You're going to heat up oil in your pot over medium-high heat and brown the eggplants on both sides.

This step really helps to give them an extra creamy texture and introduces more flavor.

After browning, set the eggplant aside and put the chicken thighs in - top side facing down. Sear them for just a few minutes to brown lightly and then set them aside in the plate with the eggplant.

The final hands-on step is to make the tomato sauce. Turn the heat up to high and heat the tomatoes along with some butter until they reduce and get very soft. It should only take about 5 minutes.

Once the tomatoes are soft, just add the water and then the cream, seasonings, and chickpeas. Arrange the chicken thighs (browned side facing up) and the eggplant slices in the pot.

Then just cover and cook.

Serving Suggestion

You don't necessarily need a garnish for this dish but I think it would be lovely with some fresh herbs like finely diced parsley, dill, coriander or mint (or all of them!).

As far as side dishes go, I think this is versatile enough to go with different starches like potatoes or even pasta, but it really feels like a perfect pairing with rice. I served it with a simple herbed basmati.

It only occurred to me after I was eating (and it was too late) that a quick Dill Yogurt Sauce with Garlic would go really well as a cooling and fresh counterpoint.

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