One of my favorite dishes is eggplant parmesan. I often order it at restaurants and am equally often disappointed in the dish that I am served.Since it is easy to make, I'd like to share my version so that you can make it at home yourself. I also make a very simple sauce that I use on both chicken parm and eggplant parm. See the recipe after the eggplant parm recipe.
Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 4
- 2
Medium sized eggplant
- 2 tbsp
Kosher salt
- 1 cup
All purpose flour (more if needed)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp
water
- 1 cup
Bread crumbs (more if needed)
- Kosher
salt, black pepper and garlic powder
- Vegetable
oil
- Cooking
spray
- Spaghetti
or marinara sauce (see my favorite simple recipe at the end of this blog)
- Parmesan
cheese
- Fresh
basil
1. Peel
eggplant and slice into ½ inch thick slices. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Place
in a colander over a plate and set aside for about 15 minutes to let the liquid
drain. Rinse very well to remove the saltiness and drain well. Dry off the eggplant slices. I like to lay drained eggplant slices on
paper towels and lightly press out the excess liquid.
2. To prepare
for breading: Place the flour on one plate. Mix together the eggs and water in
a bowl large enough to lay an eggplant slice flat. Place the bread crumbs in
another plate.
3. Add oil to
frying pan so that it is about ½” deep. Heat the oil to about 350°. Do not
overheat. You may need to add additional oil as you continue frying the
eggplant.
4. Dredge a
slice of eggplant in the flour. Shake off the excess flour. Dip the eggplant
into the egg mixture letting the extra egg drip off. Finally, cover the
eggplant with bread crumbs, shaking off the excess crumbs. Make as many as will
fit into your frying pan. If you have time, you can place the breaded eggplant in the refrigerator for an hour or so. This will help the breading set. If not...start frying.
5. Place the eggplant in the oil and fry until the first
side browns. Turn over and let the second side brown. Do not overcook or the
eggplant will become soggy. Place fried eggplant on paper towels to absorb any
extra oil. Repeat until all the eggplant pieces are fried.
6. Meanwhile,
preheat oven to 350°. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Place a thin layer
of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Shingle the eggplant rounds into the baking
pan. Ladle some of the sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with some grated
parmesan cheese. Place in the oven until the cheese melts. Optionally, use the
microwave to heat the sauce and melt the cheese over the eggplant.
7. Place on a
plate, sprinkle with more cheese, if desired. Tear some fresh basil over the
top and serve.
If you have more eggplant than you are going to serve, it freezes well. I just bread and cook it, then place in a plastic ziptop bag.
You can always use bottled spaghetti or marinara sauce, but I absolutely love the simple red sauce that I make to go with my eggplant or chicken parm. It's easy, made with ingredients I almost always have on hand, and I can control what ingredients are used.
Basic Red Sauce for Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan
Makes about 6 cups
· 2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
· 1 large Onion, chopped fine
· 3 cloves Garlic, minced OR
· 1 tsp Garlic powder
· 3, 15-oz cans Crushed tomatoes
· ¾ tsp Kosher salt
· Heaping ¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
· 2 ½ tsp Dried Italian seasoning
· ¼ to ½ cup Water, as needed
· ¼ cup Grated parmesan cheese
· ¼ tsp Baking soda (optional)
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds or so.
2. Carefully add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir well. Bring pan to a boil then bring down to a simmer. Simmer until flavors meld….about 20 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, add a little water.
3. Add parmesan then simmer another 5 minutes. Right before serving, taste it one more time. If it is a too acidic, add in baking soda until the flavor is less acidic.
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