A Fricassée is a southern French dish, halfway between a sauté and a stew, typically prepared with chicken or meat. Here, I do away with either and just have eggplant take center stage for a hearty vegan dish!
Sautee the onions in the olive oil until just soft (about 10 minutes) but not fully cooked(they will continue to cook in the oven) and set aside.
Cut the eggplants into thick slices (about 1 inch) and the tomatoes into quarters and place them together in a large bowl.
Add the warm onions (with the oil they are cooked in), the spices, bay leaves, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix gently to coat all the ingredients (see the little video clip below).
Transfer to a large baking dish in one layer as best you can, and place in preheated oven.
Bake for an hour (or more depending on your own oven, but make sure they are to the point of being almost caramelized, like the photo), stirring gently twice throughout, to make sure all the juices cover the eggplants.