Eggplant Parmigiana
Eggplant Parmigiana - A labor of love!
My mother and two of her six sisters each made a ”killer" Eggplant Parmigiana. As was the case with most of the food prepared by my grandmother, mother, and aunts, it was better than you had at most Italian Restaurants. In fact, other than pizzerias, I do not recall going to an Italian Restaurant until I was in my early twenties. Even to this day, there are still some dishes I don't order out as I know they will most likely not measure up to the meals of "La mia famiglia." At the very top of that list is Eggplant Parmigiana, Meatballs, Ravioli, Chicken in Wine and Pasta Fagioli. Italian Restaurants are my favorite, but as a pragmatist I find it unnecessary to tempt fate and besides, there are so many "fancy" meals I never got at home that I can order now. Mom never made "Vitello Saltimbocca" or "Bronzino Marechiare." Additionally, any dish that called for ingredients such as; truffles, sun dried tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, etc. never made it to our table. Too expensive or not invented yet!
Uncooked eggplant can have a bitter tasting liquid that many cooks salt to remove. Salting each slice, allowing an hour or so for the salt to draw out the moisture, rinsing the salt off and then drying the slices before you continue is not for me. I press the liquid from the slices, detailed below, and avoid the salting completely. Even still, making this dish takes the better part of 4 to 6 hours. Also, I use a professional Deli Slicer to cut the eggplant lengthwise into slices 1/4" thick. Otherwise, in lieu of said slicer, you will need "razor sharp" cutlery and Master Chef knife skills. If you are not deterred by either the time commitment or the slicing challenge, we can get started.
Ingredients
3 or 4 firm eggplants, aprox. 6"- 8" long and not too thick. Thick means lots of seeds.
6 to 8 eggs.
Large can of seasoned bread crumbs, I prefer 4C brand.
2 lbs. grated parmigiana or pecorino.
1lb. fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups EVOO
6 cups Marinara sauce
2 tablespoons of finely chopped Italian parsley
Preparation
Trim both the stalk end and the bottom end of the eggplant. Then, using a potato/vegetable peeler, remove the skin. Using a full size (18" x 13") baking sheet with sides, line the bottom with paper towels, and begin to lay out the sliced eggplant. Fit as many slices, as possible, on the baking sheet separating each layer with paper towels.
After you have laid out all of the slices in layers on paper towels, cover the top layer with paper towels as well. Then put an empty baking sheet on top of the first baking sheet. Place a 15 pound weight on the empty baking sheet. I usually place a stack of about a dozen empty dinner plates in the middle of the empty tray. Let the tray press the eggplant for 75 to 90 minutes.
In a 9" square baking dish, beat 4 eggs, 2 tablespoons of the grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt, 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. (Most likely you will need to make an additional batch of this egg wash mixture to finish breading all of the eggplant. The eggplant absorbs the egg wash in greater or lesser amounts depending on how dry it was pressed.) In a second 9" square baking dish, place 3 cups of seasoned bread crumbs. Pour 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil into an 18" x 13" baking sheet with sides. You are now ready to set up your breading station. Line up, in order, the pressed eggplant slices, the egg wash, the bread crumbs and the baking sheet with olive oil.
Begin breading with the top layer of the pressed eggplant placing one slice at a time into the egg wash for several seconds, then allow the excess egg wash to drip back into the egg wash dish, then gently placing it into the bread crumbs covering both sides and finally laying the breaded slice onto the oiled baking sheet. Lay out the slices close together, without placing them on top of one another. I usually fit 8 to 10 full sized slices on a baking sheet. Continue the breading process until you finish breading all the slices.
Bake the eggplant in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and gently turn and cook the second side another 20 minutes. After the second side is done remove and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the slices from the baking sheet and drain on a clean baking sheet and fresh paper towels. Good news, you're getting close to the fun part!
Putting the casserole tray(s) together is tantamount to the "home stretch." You will have to make decisions on size of the casserole dish(s). I usually make one large dish, 15"x10"x2", and a smaller one, perhaps 8"x8"x2". The first time you make this dish is a learning experience as to how many slices are needed to complete a casserole. When I put a tray together, I make it 4 layers high. Spray the dish lightly with vegetable spray. Your homemade tomato sauce, no Jar Sauce please, dresses the top layer only. I always put a hot bowl of red sauce on the table for those who like some extra. Now you can start fitting the breaded eggplant slices into the baking dish. Fit the slices together like you are tiling a floor. The fit need not be perfect, just no big gaps. You can certainly cut a slice to fill a gap, or overlap a little if you prefer. Once the bottom of the dish is covered with eggplant, sprinkle 1/4 cup of parmesan or pecorino cheese, chefs choice, evenly over the eggplant. As you put down the next layer, run the slices in the opposite direction of the first layer. This makes the stack more stable. Again, sprinkle this layer with 1/4 cup of grated cheese and 1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil. Layer 3 should be put down in an opposite direction from layer 2, and sprinkled with 1/4 cup of grated cheese. Lay out the top layer in an opposite direction from layer 3 and cover it with 1/4"thick slices of fresh mozzarella, evenly spaced. Ladle your homemade tomato sauce generously over the top of the mozzarella and eggplant.
Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool and then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (NOTE: You can keep this casserole in the refrigerator for several days before serving. It also freezes well as long as it is properly wrapped.) About an hour before you are ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator, discard the plastic wrap, and bring to room temperature. Place in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Don't forget the extra sauce.
