Eggplant Parmesan
*** Step 1: Drying eggplants ***
2 eggplants
Easiest to do in 2 batches, one eggplant each batch. Cut eggplants in 1/4" thick, round slices. Put slices in a bowl, and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of salt to cover the eggplant surfaces evenly. Stack eggplant slices vertically into a colander or strainer which has been set on top of a bowl to catch juices that run out. After 30 minutes, there will be a quarter cup of brown juice strained from each eggplant. Set out a towel on the counter. Lay out eggplant slices in a single layer. Place another towel on top, and press eggplants to strain more liquid from them. Place these eggplant slices aside for Step 3.
*** Step 2: Making bread crumbs ***
9 slices of white bread (about 2/3 loaf)
1 1/2 cups of finely grated parmesan
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of pepper
Easiest to do this in 2 batches. Cut bread slices into quarters. Pulse-chop bread in a cuisineart to get fine crumbs. Leave bread crumbs in the cuisineart. Add parmesan, salt and pepper to crumbs and pulse-chop mixture. Combine the two batches of bread crumbs into a large bowl for Step 3.
continued...
*** Step 3: Coat eggplants with bread crumbs ***
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
extra virgin olive oil
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees for Step 4 while performing Step 3.
In a large, high-sided dish, mix 8 eggs. Have flour ready in another similar dish. Perform the next steps with two or more eggplant slices at a time: Coat each eggplant slice on both sides with flour, then coat both sides with egg. For each step remove excess flour before dipping in egg, and remove excess egg before coating with bread crumbs. Put the egg-and-flour-coated eggplant slices in bowl of bread crumbs and pile crumbs onto both sides of eggplant slices. Remove excess bread crumbs. Stack coated eggplant slices on a cookie sheet or baking grill or sheet of aluminum foil.
*** Step 4: Bake crumb-coated eggplant ***
Heat cookie sheets or baking pans in 425 degree oven for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Coat bottoms of pans with a layer of virgin olive oil. Place a single layer of bread-crumb-coated eggplant on each sheet. Bake one side of eggplant slices for 15 minutes. Turn the eggplant over. When using more than one pan on more than one level of the oven, rotate the pans. Bake second side of eggplant slices for 10 minutes. The crumbs should just brown, but not burn. Prepare Step 5 while eggplant is baking.
*** Step 5: Making the tomato sauce ***
1 1/2 cans (32 oz cans) of diced tomato in natural juices
2 finely diced cloves of garlic
1 cup of basil
extra virgin olive oil
Remove stems from basil. Chop half the basil coarsely, keep remaining half as whole leaves. Pulse-chop 1 can of diced tomato in cuisineart. Put sauce pot on medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and finely diced garlic. Allow the garlic to cook for 3 minutes, then lower heat to medium. Add the chopped diced tomatoes and the unchopped diced tomatoes. Add salt, sugar, and grated parmesan to taste (optional: add 2 tablespoons of Barbeque sauce to add sweetness and tone down tartness of tomatoes). Cook for five minutes. Before turning off heat, add chopped basil.
*** Step 6: Layering eggplant, sauce and cheese ***
Baked eggplant from Step 4
Tomato sauce from Step 5
1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan
2 cups of coarsely grated mozarella
In a 9 x 13 baking pan, pour 1/2 of the tomato sauce from Step 5 and spread evenly. Layer half the eggplant in diagonal lines with the slices overlapping eachother slightly. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozarella on the first layer of eggplant. Spread the remaining 1/4 of tomato sauce on the mozarella. Save the last 1/4 of tomato sauce for serving on the side. Layer the second half of the eggplant on top of this in the same way as the first layer of eggplant. Sprinkle grated parmesan over this second layer of eggplant. Layer 2/3 of the mozarella on top of everything. Start by filling in edges of baking pan, then fill in middle.
Bake this for 10 minutes at 425 degrees until mozarella melts, but before it browns. Remove from oven, spread whole basil leaves saved from Step 5 over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. Allow to sit for a half hour, then serve.
I adapted this recipe from the video recipe, "Eggplant Parmesan," on America's Test Kitchen.
2 eggplants
Easiest to do in 2 batches, one eggplant each batch. Cut eggplants in 1/4" thick, round slices. Put slices in a bowl, and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of salt to cover the eggplant surfaces evenly. Stack eggplant slices vertically into a colander or strainer which has been set on top of a bowl to catch juices that run out. After 30 minutes, there will be a quarter cup of brown juice strained from each eggplant. Set out a towel on the counter. Lay out eggplant slices in a single layer. Place another towel on top, and press eggplants to strain more liquid from them. Place these eggplant slices aside for Step 3.
*** Step 2: Making bread crumbs ***
9 slices of white bread (about 2/3 loaf)
1 1/2 cups of finely grated parmesan
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of pepper
Easiest to do this in 2 batches. Cut bread slices into quarters. Pulse-chop bread in a cuisineart to get fine crumbs. Leave bread crumbs in the cuisineart. Add parmesan, salt and pepper to crumbs and pulse-chop mixture. Combine the two batches of bread crumbs into a large bowl for Step 3.
continued...
*** Step 3: Coat eggplants with bread crumbs ***
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
extra virgin olive oil
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees for Step 4 while performing Step 3.
In a large, high-sided dish, mix 8 eggs. Have flour ready in another similar dish. Perform the next steps with two or more eggplant slices at a time: Coat each eggplant slice on both sides with flour, then coat both sides with egg. For each step remove excess flour before dipping in egg, and remove excess egg before coating with bread crumbs. Put the egg-and-flour-coated eggplant slices in bowl of bread crumbs and pile crumbs onto both sides of eggplant slices. Remove excess bread crumbs. Stack coated eggplant slices on a cookie sheet or baking grill or sheet of aluminum foil.
*** Step 4: Bake crumb-coated eggplant ***
Heat cookie sheets or baking pans in 425 degree oven for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Coat bottoms of pans with a layer of virgin olive oil. Place a single layer of bread-crumb-coated eggplant on each sheet. Bake one side of eggplant slices for 15 minutes. Turn the eggplant over. When using more than one pan on more than one level of the oven, rotate the pans. Bake second side of eggplant slices for 10 minutes. The crumbs should just brown, but not burn. Prepare Step 5 while eggplant is baking.
*** Step 5: Making the tomato sauce ***
1 1/2 cans (32 oz cans) of diced tomato in natural juices
2 finely diced cloves of garlic
1 cup of basil
extra virgin olive oil
Remove stems from basil. Chop half the basil coarsely, keep remaining half as whole leaves. Pulse-chop 1 can of diced tomato in cuisineart. Put sauce pot on medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and finely diced garlic. Allow the garlic to cook for 3 minutes, then lower heat to medium. Add the chopped diced tomatoes and the unchopped diced tomatoes. Add salt, sugar, and grated parmesan to taste (optional: add 2 tablespoons of Barbeque sauce to add sweetness and tone down tartness of tomatoes). Cook for five minutes. Before turning off heat, add chopped basil.
*** Step 6: Layering eggplant, sauce and cheese ***
Baked eggplant from Step 4
Tomato sauce from Step 5
1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan
2 cups of coarsely grated mozarella
In a 9 x 13 baking pan, pour 1/2 of the tomato sauce from Step 5 and spread evenly. Layer half the eggplant in diagonal lines with the slices overlapping eachother slightly. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozarella on the first layer of eggplant. Spread the remaining 1/4 of tomato sauce on the mozarella. Save the last 1/4 of tomato sauce for serving on the side. Layer the second half of the eggplant on top of this in the same way as the first layer of eggplant. Sprinkle grated parmesan over this second layer of eggplant. Layer 2/3 of the mozarella on top of everything. Start by filling in edges of baking pan, then fill in middle.
Bake this for 10 minutes at 425 degrees until mozarella melts, but before it browns. Remove from oven, spread whole basil leaves saved from Step 5 over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. Allow to sit for a half hour, then serve.
I adapted this recipe from the video recipe, "Eggplant Parmesan," on America's Test Kitchen.
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