The Art of Underdoing It.
This post is another in the series of âDonât Worry, I Fixed It.â The original recipe came from not one, but two trusted sources: a restaurant in New Orleans that we love via a newspaper that is known for its food column. They shall remain nameless because I donât want you thinking that I am bashing them, or that my ego is so big that I think I can out-cook said resources. It is very generous that chefs are willing to share their recipes but not all recipes downsize easily for home.
I made this Eggplant and Merguez Casserole as printed the first time. It was close to inedible â swimming in oil and it tasted somewhat like the water in the Dead Sea. âOverdoing itâ is an understatement. It was my error not to read the reviews and notes first; there were a lot. And all of them concurred: the amount of cheese was obscene (which added to the pool of oil), and the amount of salt was unforgivable, even taking into account that the food columnists always use Diamonds Crystal salt.
I removed almost all the salt, cut the amount of cheese (half of the Fontina and a quarter of the Parmigiano Reggiano), and drained the Merguez (a Moroccan lamb sausage) after preliminary cooking. I then made several other changes along the way, including doubling the eggplant, leaving the skin on the eggplant, mixing the Fontina into the bĂ©chamel, and crumbling the Merguez, and putting it all in the middle layer. These changes are not earth-shattering but, together, they make a much nicer final product. Oh, and I tested this using both a deep baking dish and individual casseroles (as seen above â much prettier to serve), and both worked very well.
~ David
Eggplant and Merguez Casserole
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplants, sliced into 3/8-inch-thick rounds
- olive oil
- kosher salt (I use Mortonâs)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces loose Merguez sausage (recipe follows)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- a few gratings of freshly grated nutmeg
- 6 ounces Fontina, grated
- 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Set two racks in the oven: one in the upper third and the other in the lower third. Spread eggplant slices in a single layer on two parchment-lined baking sheets, and thoroughly brush both sides with olive oil; sprinkle one side with salt and black pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through, until golden brown; remove from the oven and set on paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Leave oven set to 400°F.
- While the eggplant is roasting, sautĂ© Merguez sausage (casings removed) in a medium skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and fully cooked. Remove from heat and drain on a double thickness of paper towels. (Note: it isnât always easy to find Merguez sausages, a Moroccan lamb sausage, so I included a recipe below for my loose homemade Merguez.)
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Raise heat to medium and add flour; cook, whisking, about 2 minutes. Stir in white pepper and nutmeg, then add the milk all at once and whisk to combine thoroughly. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened and smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Lightly oil an 8-inch by 11-inch, 2-inch-deep baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup of the béchamel in the baking dish, then add all the grated Fontina to the remaining béchamel in the pan and stir to melt. Taste for salt and add it if needed. (If the cheese is very salty, you may not need to add much salt, if any.) Add half the eggplant to the baking dish, overlapping the slices. Cover evenly with all of the crumbled cooked Merguez sausage. Coat with half of the remaining béchamel (with Fontina). Top with remaining eggplant and spread with the rest of the béchamel on top. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Bake in the upper third of the oven until hot, bubbling, and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Change the oven setting to broil (leaving the rack where it is) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer until nicely browned. Allow to rest for a minute or two, then serve.
- Serves 4-6.
- __________________________________________________________________
- David’s Merguez Sausage
- âą 1 pound ground lamb
- âą 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- âą 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- âą 1 teaspoon fennel pollen (or ground fennel seed)
- âą 1 tablespoon paprika
- âą 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Mortonâs)
- âą 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- âą 2 teaspoons ground dried shallot or onion
- âą 2 tablespoons Calabrian chile paste or Moroccan harissa
- Mix all the ingredients together well. Use loose, or form into patties, or pipe into casings.
© 2026 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mimi Rippee
December 13, 2025 at 5:06 amOh my does this look good! I love eggplant, love merguez and fontina! A combination made in heaven!
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:18 pmIt really is, Mimi!
Mad Dog
December 13, 2025 at 7:17 amThat looks delicious – a bit like a spicy sausage mousaka!
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:18 pmIt really is, Mad Dog. I hadn’t thought of that.
angiesrecipes
December 13, 2025 at 7:39 amwow that cheesy topping has me drool big time!
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:17 pmThere is nothing like the combination of cheese and dairy, Angie! đ
Barb
December 13, 2025 at 8:14 amThis sounds absolutely delicious for a cold winter evening! The spicy sausage is perfect for bland eggplant, and mornay sauce is always a welcome addition. It looks so inviting! Beautiful presentation, as always!
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:17 pmThanks, Barb — you know, I didn’t call it a mornay sauce as the cheese used is definitely not traditional. But it is really just that!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
December 13, 2025 at 9:29 amThank you David for including your homemade Merguez recipe. You are right, it is hard to find. I know we would both enjoy this meal.
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:16 pmYou are so welcome, Karen — I hope you get a chance to make it.
Eha Carr
December 13, 2025 at 3:24 pmLove your story but, even more, your Merguez recipe. Love lamb . . . fennel seed and harissa for me perchance . . .
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:16 pmThanks, Eha! You probably remember that the harissa would kill me (unless I made it myself). The sambal oelek works beautifully.
sherry
December 13, 2025 at 4:01 pmsounds like some brilliant changes David. I agree that chefs’ recipes often do not translate. And i am still amazed that popular cookbooks often have recipes that seem to never have been tested at all. I love eggplant!!
Merry festives
sherry
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:15 pmIt does make you wonder how many chefs actually write down what they do! I hope you and Mr. P have a great holiday, too.
FEL!X
December 13, 2025 at 6:12 pmIn my experience, award-winning chefs may produce outstanding results in their kitchens, but unfortunately, most of them are unable to write precise recipes.
Yours looks delicious and I’m sure it tases great!
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:14 pmI think that is definitely the case, Felix. Thanks for your kind words.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
December 14, 2025 at 8:42 amBravo! I can attest to the fact that your recipe is spot on. Delicious and rich, without being *too* rich.
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:13 pmThanks, Frank — your attestation means the world to me! I am so glad you liked it.
Gerlinde de Broekert
December 14, 2025 at 6:54 pmI love eggplant, you made this dish into a delicious meal. Right now I am not cooking but I will keep this in mind for later.
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:13 pmThanks, Gerlinde — I hope everything is okay! When a foodie tells me they aren’t cooking, it worries me. đ
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
December 15, 2025 at 4:37 pmDavid, this casserole looks fantastic – hearty, fragrant, and full of bold, warming flavours.
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:12 pmThanks, Ben — it’s perfect for a winter’s night!
Fran @ G'day
December 16, 2025 at 2:46 pmWow, I am especially attracted to your Merquez homemade sausage. I’m inspired now to stuff those ingredients into some casings (which I haven’t done for years)! BTW, you should now be able to make comments on my blog- WordPress seems to have fixed the problem!
David Scott Allen
December 16, 2025 at 4:12 pmThanks, Fran — I think you will enjoy the Merguez! And thanks for fixing the comments issue! Those pesky plug-ins!
Raymund
December 18, 2025 at 1:33 pmThis looks fantastic, David! I love how you walked us through the âfixingâ process, itâs always reassuring to know even great recipes need tweaking sometimes.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 19, 2025 at 1:15 pmThanks Raymund â it was a fun project!
Valentina
December 18, 2025 at 10:56 pmI love that you corrected this recipe from the originally not-so-good version, to an excellent one. Can’t wait to try it. I only love eggplant certain ways, and this is one of them. I think you need to write a book called, “Don’t Worry, I Fixed it!” đ ~Valentina
Judee
January 2, 2026 at 4:26 pmI’m always looking for ideas for eggplant. This looks really good after your initial attempts. I have to say that I hate oily dripping casseroles. Glad you were able to rescue and fix it..
David Scott Allen
January 3, 2026 at 7:55 amI agree Judee — and oily casserole is very unappealing! I hope you enjoy this!