Serving suggestions? A side? Better on its own?

Regardless of what the author suggest, you can be sure I would splash it with red wine vinegar, as any savory dish like this invariably falls flat without a hit of acid. ;o)

Hi! Rebekah, the author, shares some great serving ideas in the accompanying article: "The eggplant confit slices are ideal served as a side, spread on crusty bread, or chopped up and strewn over hummus or labneh as a simple snack. But the recipe’s rich, savory, garlic-thyme-umami-laced by-product might just be my favorite part—sometimes I make this dish just to get the oil. Whisk it into vinaigrettes, use it to fry glorious eggs, dip bread in it, drizzle it with a heavy hand over pasta or sliced tomatoes or roasted vegetables; the list goes on." Rest of the piece is here: https://food52.com/blog/26364-best-a-table-cookbook-recipe-rebekah-peppler