For 8

In case your immediate reaction is the same as mine (this sounds scrumptious!) and then you see the “One 10-inch puff pastry tart shell” and are tempted to dismiss the recipe altogether, please bear with me. Granted, chances are none of us plan to make puff pastry in preparation for the upcoming 4th of July holiday. Not to worry, we are flexible, are we not? And creative. There are many options available to us, one of which, of course, is to purchase frozen phyllo dough and proceed from there. Or we could resort to a normal pâte brisée. And since Chef Bertolli mentions pizza, why not? Boboli is not bad at all, and we do have the excuse of the holiday. Whichever way you go, please do not miss this excellent indulgence just because the recipe calls for
puff pastry.
 

“This tart captures the smokiness of the charcoal grill and the happy union of Provençal flavors – eggplant, peppers, garlic, anchovies, and basil. Its tart and salty accents pique the appetite and it makes a provocative first course. The tart resembles a pizza, but is much lighter and crisper because of the puff pastry crust. The pastry is treated like a large cracker with the toppings added after the shell is baked and cooled. Assembled, it is dressed at the last moment with sharp vinaigrette.
The shell itself is versatile and can support a number of different toppings, for instance, a warm stew of caramelized onions cooked with fresh thyme, vinegar, chopped parsley, olives, and eggs. Or leftover ratatouille, provided it is not too juicy, makes a colorful topping and is well matched with the basil, chopped egg and anchovy garnishes.
Make the puff pastry ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze the shell. Bake it while you prepare the other ingredients. Be sure to let the shell cool well before you assemble the tart.”

8 Japanese eggplants (1 pound, 4 ounces)
4 tablespoons pure olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 sweet red bell pepper (8 ounces)
4 salt-packed anchovies
1 large egg
2 shallots (2 ounces), finely diced
1 small clove garlic, very finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil for garnish

Prepare a charcoal fire.
Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Lay the slices on a baking sheet, brush them with olive oil, and lightly salt and pepper them on both sides. While the fire is still quite hot, grill the pepper until the skin is well blistered and blackened all over, turning it often to expose all sides to the heat. When the pepper is well charred, remove it from the grill and place it in a sealed container to steam. This will help loosen the skin from the flesh. When the fire has burned down a bit, grill the eggplants, being careful not to blacken the flesh. This should take about 2 minutes per side.
Remove the bones from the anchovies and soak the filets in a small bowl in several changes of cold water for 15 minutes. Put the egg in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then immediately turn the heat off. Let the egg stand in the hot water for 8 minutes. Remove, cool the egg in cool water, and peel it.
Combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well to dissolve the salt. Add the extra virgin olive oil, stirring constantly.
Remove the pepper from the container and peel off the blackened skin. Cut the pepper in half over a small bowl, saving any juices. Strain the juices into the vinaigrette through a sieve, to capture the seeds. Cut away the stem and seeds and cut the pepper into 1/4-inch strips. Toss the peppers with a little of the vinaigrette and set aside. Drain and squeeze the anchovies and cut them lengthwise into 1/8-inch strips.  Chop the egg coarse.
Assembling the tart:  Just before you intend to serve the tart, lay the sliced eggplant, slightly overlapping, on the puff pastry tart. Next, distribute the anchovies and peppers evenly. Using your hands, sprinkle the vinaigrette and shallots over the vegetables. Garnish with the chopped egg and basil. Serve immediately with a bowl of olives and chilled Bandol rosé.

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