Eggplant Parmesan
Weekend recipes If you are using thin skinned baby eggplants there is no need to peel them. However, I recommend peeling larger varieties. I used home-grown eggplants from our garden, but decided to peel them - purely for the benefit of getting my children to try this dish. I thought the purple skins might tip them off to the fact that they were indeed eating a vegetable.
Weekend recipes If you are using thin skinned baby eggplants there is no need to peel them. However, I recommend peeling larger varieties. I used home-grown eggplants from our garden, but decided to peel them - purely for the benefit of getting my children to try this dish. I thought the purple skins might tip them off to the fact that they were indeed eating a vegetable.
- Carbohydrate 16.8599368497575 g
- Cholesterol 276.9310844 mg
- Fat 23.4577634701868 g
- Fiber 6.98998289746906 g
- Protein 34.35292934323 g
- Saturated Fat 12.5164678664505 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (419g)
- Sodium 795.995628748757 mg
- Sugar 9.86995395228844 g
- Trans Fat 1.9449056623528 g
- Calories 408 calories
Step-by-step
- Remove the stems from the eggplant and slice into thin rounds, about 1/4" thick. Note: if you're using small eggplants, as I did - you will need to slice the fattest parts into rounds and the thinner sections lengthwise. This makes the size of the eggplant slices more uniform and the frying process less arduous.
- Line the inside of a colander with one layer of sliced eggplant and sprinkle with kosher salt. Lay the next layer on top of the first and sprinkle with more salt. Continue this process until all the eggplant is salted. Prop the colander over a bowl and let drain for at least 30 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry before proceeding. If you go a little overboard with the salt, you can also rinse the salt off and pat dry.
- Pour enough oil in a large skillet to fill to a depth of 1". Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place the flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls, or plates. Coat a piece of eggplant in egg, allow the excess to drip off, then coat in the flour. Continue this process, cooking the eggplant in batches, about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined platter.
- Heat the olive oil and chopped tomatoes in a separate skillet over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish, or pie plate with butter. Line the bottom of the dish with a single layer of eggplant slices. Spread some of the cooked tomato over the eggplant, followed by a layer of mozzarella and a bit of the basil. Repeat the process, ending with a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Make ahead: This dish can be made several days in advance and stored, covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
Salting sliced eggplant in a colander for at least 30 minutes draws out excess cellular water through osmosis, preventing soggy breading and allowing hot oil to penetrate the exterior instead of steaming the vegetable from the inside. Maintain frying oil at medium-high heat so the flour and egg coating seals rapidly without absorbing excess fat. Simmering the chopped tomatoes separately reduces their moisture content by half, concentrating the natural sugars and acids so the sauce clings to the fried rounds without pooling at the base of the baking dish.
The Science of Breading and Melting
Dredging requires an egg wash followed by flour to create an adherent crust that withstands hot frying oil. Mozzarella introduces high moisture during baking, releasing dairy whey that requires foil coverage for the first 35 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the interior evenly before removing the barrier for the final 10 minutes to brown the Parmesan crust.
- Substitution warning: swapping fresh mozzarella for low-moisture block cheese alters the final moisture balance, resulting in a drier, less gooey interior.
- Storage window: assembled unbaked casseroles hold safely in the refrigerator for several days wrapped tightly in plastic.
