Eggplant Parmagian
Prep:
35 min
Inactive:
1 hr
Cook:
1 hr 10 min
Yield:4 and 6 servings
Level:Intermediate
Ingredients
·
The Sauce:
·
1/4 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
·
3 medium yellow
onions, peeled, halved, and cut into thin slices
·
6 cloves garlic,
peeled and grated
·
Kosher salt
·
1 tablespoon crushed
red pepper flakes
·
1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
·
3 (28-ounce) cans San
Marzano whole plum tomatoes
·
The Eggplant:
·
2 medium eggplants,
washed and cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds (about 2 1/2 pounds)
·
1/2 cup all-purpose
flour
·
Freshly ground black
pepper
·
5 large eggs
·
3 tablespoons whole
milk
·
4 cups Italian-style
breadcrumbs
·
1 tablespoon dried
oregano
·
1 tablespoon fresh
thyme leaves
·
Vegetable oil, for
frying, as needed, about 1 1/2 to 2 cups
·
1 1/2 pounds mozzarella
cheese, cut into thin slices
·
1/2 cup grated
Parmesan
·
1 pound provolone
cheese, grated
·
2 handfuls fresh
basil, leaves only, torn
Directions
I really think this is
what I would eat for my last meal on Earth. It's so simple and, when done
right, sublime. I cannot stop eating this!
For the tomato sauce:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and
garlic and season with salt and red
pepper flakes. Cook until theonions become translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add
the sugar and the canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break up some of the
whole tomatoes and cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time
to time. Taste for seasoning, the tomatoes should be fairly broken down and the
flavors coming together. Cook for another few minutes if the tomatoes still
taste like they need a little more time to break down. Set aside to cool.
For the eggplant (this
step is optional, leave it out if you have limited time): Arrange the eggplant
rounds in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt on both sides
of each slice and allow it to sit for about 1 hour. Salting it draws out the
liquid and bitter flavor. After an hour, rinse with cold
water and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
Put the flour in a
medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milkand season with salt and pepper. In a third
bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the oregano and fresh thyme leaves and season with
salt and pepper. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour and shake off any excess.
Then, dip in the egg mixture, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to coat
both sides of each slice of eggplant. Arrange them in single layers on the
baking sheets.
In a large skillet,
pour enough oil to accumulate about 1/2-inch in the bottom. Heat the oil until
it begins to smoke lightly (alternatively, test with a thermometer and wait
until the oil registers between 380 degrees F and 400 degrees F). Use a pair of
kitchen tongs to add a single layer of the eggplant to the pan. Cook them until
they are golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and
transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel so the eggplant
can drain as the others cook. Season lightly with
salt. Take care to reheat the oil back up to temperature before adding another
batch of slices to the pan.
Preheat oven to 350
degrees F.
To assemble: In a 9 by
13-inch baking
dish, spoon about 1/4 of
the tomato
sauce on the bottom.
Top with a layer of the fried eggplant; the eggplant slices can overlap
slightly. Top with about 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with about 1/4
of the Parmesan and provolone cheeses. Top with a layer
of torn basil leaves. Spoon sauce and repeat the
layering 2 more times to make 3 layers. End with the remaining mozzarella.
Carefully press the layers down firmly into the dish once assembled. Place the
dish in the top part of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and
bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. For extra browning, put the dish under the broiler
for a minute or two just before serving to get an extra brown cheesy top. I
always nibble on a bit of that before sharing it with my friends!
Recipe courtesy of
Alex Guarnaschelli
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