10.06.2010

Eggplant Parmesan Done Right



I am not sure what to be more excited about, the new band featured in this week's webisode, or how utterly delicious this Eggplant Parmesan is. In case you haven't already noticed, music is just as important to me as food. Listening to a great new song and eating a delectable dish evoke the same feelings in me. So I hope you all enjoy the tunes as much as you enjoy the food!

I have to give a shout out to my friend Ellen for teaching me how simple this dish is to make. Ellen had made it for my husband and me one night. It was so yummy, but of course we had leftovers. The following night, I had invited some guests over for a dinner party. I set this out in case anyone wanted to try it and it disappeared faster than any other dish.

Just a few tips. The success of this meal heavily depends on the quality of the ingredients. Because we aren't making a tomato sauce from scratch, I can't stress how important it is that you purchase really good quality sauce. The same goes for the cheese. After the eggplant, the cheese is the star ingredient.



I hope you all enjoy this. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Cheers and happy eating!

Eggplant Parmesan

2 medium size eggplants (cut into 1/2-inch rounds)
all-purpose flour, for dredging
2-4 eggs, beaten with 2-3 Tablespoons of water
Italian breadcrumbs, for dredging
vegetable oil, for frying
2 jars of good quality marinara sauce
12 ounces grated mozzarella, not fresh
12 ounces grated pecorina romano
handful of basil, chopped
salt
pepper
italian seasoning

Place the flour, eggs (beaten with water), and bread crumbs in three, separate, large shallow bowls.

Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip it into the egg, and lastly dredge it in the bread crumbs. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Heat a good amount of oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When the oil gets hot, fry a few of the eggplant slices, making sure not to crowd the pan, and turn once until golden brown. About 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the eggplant.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with some tomato sauce and arrange eggplant over the sauce covering the dish. Cover the eggplant with some more sauce, grated mozzarella,
Romano cheese, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and basil. Repeat to make 2-3 layers (depending on baking dish and how much eggplant there is.) Lastly, top with a few pieces of butter and bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30-35 minutes.









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