Eggplant and veal croque cake

Today I want to show you how to prepare a delicious eggplant and beef croque cake that will come in handy for an everyday dinner or to take to a party, as it is a recipe that makes quite a few servings. Croque cakes are savory pastries inspired by the famous French croque monsieur, those mixed sandwiches covered in béchamel and gratinated that you have surely seen in many bakeries.

To make a croque cake, you will need a tall rectangular mould. Mine is from Emile Henry, a well-known French brand that makes fantastic ceramic utensils of excellent quality. They are durable, non-porous and can be washed in the dishwasher without any problem. For me, Emile Henry products are a must-have in my kitchen.

The croque cake I made today is made with aubergines and beef, but you can add whatever ingredients you like. One combination I love is Iberian ham and Urgèlia DOP cheese, which is a soft cow's cheese from the Catalan Pyrenees.

Emile Henry rectangular ceramic mould , Le Creuset Damascus steel knife and Le Creuset wooden cutting board

Ingredients

• Crustless bread (I used 7 and a half slices)
• 1 onion
• 400g minced beef
• 4 tablespoons of fried tomato
• 2 eggplants
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• 50gr grated cheese

For the bechamel:

• 50gr butter
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 50gr flour
• 600ml milk
• 150gr grated cheese
• Salt
• Nutmeg

Elaboration

1. Chop the onion small and put it in a pan with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt over a medium-low heat. Sauté it well. If you see that it starts to burn, add a splash of water and continue cooking until it turns golden.
2. Add the minced meat, season with salt and pepper and let it brown.
3. Add the fried tomato and let everything cook for a couple of minutes. Set aside.
4. To prepare the bechamel, put the butter and olive oil in a saucepan . When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir it in with a whisk . Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add the warm milk while stirring.
6. Add salt to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir until you get a thick bechamel.
7. Remove from heat and add the grated cheese. Stir to combine well.
8. Cut the eggplants into thin slices and add salt. Cook them in a frying pan with a dash of olive oil for a couple of minutes on each side. Set aside.
9. To assemble the croque cake, line the mould with baking paper. To make it easier to adapt the paper to the mould, you can wet it under the tap and drain it well. This way you can give it the shape you want.
10. Line the bottom of the pan with the bread, cutting the slices if necessary. Put a layer of minced meat, a layer of aubergines, cover with béchamel and put another layer of bread on top. Repeat the process finishing with a layer of bread. Finally cover with béchamel and decorate with a few slices of aubergines and grated cheese.
11. Bake for 35 minutes with heat from above and below at 180º.
12. After the time has passed, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the mold.

Emile Henry rectangular ceramic mould , Le Creuset Damascus steel knife and Le Creuset wooden cutting board