fabulous

eggplant parmesan

fabulous eggplant parmesan

If you’re looking for a low fat, low calorie recipe for eggplant parmesan, keep looking. This is not it.

That’s not to say it isn’t healthful, because it is—but the eggplant is pan fried in olive oil. Not breaded and baked (soggy-no thank you). Not naked and baked (please no). It’s a healthy oil, but it’s still oil, meaning it’s not diet food.

Fabulous eggplant parmesan is crispy at the edges, has just the right amount of flavorful sauce, and is rich with a moderate amount of melted cheeses that don’t overpower the flavor of the eggplant.

 

Lately, I’ve encountered a lot of sub-par, disappointing eggplant parmesan, and since it’s one of my favorite dishes, I’m extremely disappointed when it’s not good.

 

In addition to the method used for cooking the eggplant, there’s the issue of the sauce…

Either the sauce is too sweet or it’s too acidy. And there’s enough of it to drown the eggplant. I want sauce with my eggplant, not eggplant with my sauce.

The sauce is a critical component.

 

…and the issue of the cheese.

Either the eggplant is stacked, one slice against the next with nothing between them, and then the whole thing is covered in a thick blanket of cheese, or there are mountains of cheese between every slice, gooey and dripping.

The cheese should not be a choking hazard.

 

So, what makes a great eggplant parmesan? Thin, crispy layers of eggplant, layered with a sprinkling of cheeses and dressed with sauce, that comes to the table crispy, just cheesy enough, and with a sauce that leaves you begging for more. Which is offered on the side to spoon over.

 

This is not something to make when you’re in a hurry.

 

Make it this way and I promise you rave reviews. Tonight I’m making it as part of my menu for Parasha Vayishlach.

Fabulous Eggplant Parmesan

The Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 4 cans of San Marzano* tomatoes

  • 12 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

  • A few sprigs of thyme

  • 2 bay leaves

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • A chunk of eggplant from the narrow end, about 3”—4” long. (You’ll use the rest of it later.)

  • A bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon.

  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:

Prepare the tomatoes: Separate the whole tomatoes from their juice and chop them, or squish with your hands. Reserve both the tomatoes and their juice.

Prepare the eggplant: Peel the eggplant using a vegetable peeler, and then dice it into very small cubes. Drop the cubes into the lemon water to keep them from turning brown.

 

  • In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm the oil. 

  • Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Don’t let it brown. 

  • Fish the eggplant cubes out of the water, dry them on paper towels or a tea towel, and add them to the pot. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes.

  • Add the liquid from tomato cans along with the crushed tomatoes.  Add a generous amount of salt and pepper.

  • Drop in the thyme leaves.

  • Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t stick. The pieces of eggplant will basically melt into the sauce.

  • Add basil and cook 5 minutes more. If you’re a fan of a strong garlic flavor (like me), add another clove or two of minced garlic, or use a garlic press

  • Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves.

  • Some people like their sauce a bit chunky; others like it silky smooth. If you’re in the former group, you’re done. If you’re in the latter group, use an immersion blender (or a food processer) to purée the sauce.

  • Taste for salt and pepper. If the sauce tastes flat, it needs more salt.

  • Set aside.

 

*The tomatoes you use will make a huge difference in the sauce. San Marzano tomatoes have a rich tomato flavor and are low in acid. You’ll never need to add sugar or baking soda. Make sure they say “certified” somewhere on the can, not “San Marzano Style.”

 

For the eggplant:

  • 2-3 large globe eggplants depending upon how much you want to make.

  • oil for frying—I use a combination of fruity olive oil and something with a high smoke point, such as sunflower.

  • Eggs as needed (probably 2-3)

  • Bread crumbs—I prefer to use the Italian seasoned ones. Don’t use panko; you need fine bread crumbs.

  • 1-2 lbs whole milk mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly or shredded (not fresh! It doesn’t melt well.) (Not pre-shredded, either)

  • A wedge of good Italian grating cheese, such as Locatelli or Parmigiano Reggiano.

  • Lots of chopped basil

Method:

  • Have a baking sheet, or something comparable, on which to lay out the breaded eggplant slices.

  • Peel the rest of the eggplant that you used in the sauce–some people leave the skin on, but that can make it tough or bitter. Then slice the eggplant thinly. (I do them one at a time so that they don’t turn brown.)

  • Crack an egg into a flat bowl and whisk it with a splash of cold water until it’s smooth.

  • Spread out some bread crumbs on a flat plate. Dip one slice of eggplant into the egg, let the excess run off, and then coat it well with the crumbs. Lay it on the baking sheet and take up the next slice.

  • Continue until all your eggplant is breaded. You’ll need to add more egg and more breadcrumbs as you go. When you use all the slices from the first eggplant, peel and slice the next one.

  • You can start the frying while you’re still breading, to speed up the process. Another way to speed things up is to use two skillets, but then you have to wash two of them…

  • Heat a generous amount of oil in a skillet. You want to get it hot, but not smoking. When you put in your eggplant slices, they should sizzle. If the oil isn’t hot enough, they’ll absorb too much oil. Fry the eggplant slices until they’re golden on both sides. They only need a few minutes on each side. As they come out of the pan, lay them out on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

  • You’ll need to add more oil to the pan as you’re going from one batch to the next.

 

Putting it all together:

When you’ve got your sauce ready, your cheese sliced or shredded, and your eggplant fried, you’re ready to go.

  • Ladle a thin but even layer of sauce in the bottom of your baking dish.

  • Then lay out circles of eggplant over the sauce. Overlap them slightly to cover the spaces between them.

  • Spoon a little sauce over each slice, avoiding the very edges of the slices.

  • Then cover each eggplant slice with a thin slice of mozzarella (or some shredded mozzarella).

  • Grate a little Parmigiano Reggiano over the whole thing.

  • Give it a miserly sprinkle of basil.

  • Make another layer of eggplant, another layer of sauce, and another layer of cheese with basil. Keep going until you’ve used it all up. Be a little more generous with sauce and cheese on the top layer, but don’t drown it!

  • You should have plenty of sauce left to serve over a side of pasta, plus more to pass at the table.

  • Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, tenting it slightly so that it doesn’t touch—you don’t want the cheese to stick to the foil.

  • Bake, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes, then remove cover and continue baking until top is lightly browned, about 15 minutes more.

 

Another way‑

Get fancy

This is a rustic dish. It usually comes to the table in its pan. It’s cut into squares and a portion is put on each plate.

But there’s a way to make it into something more elegant.

Don’t overlap the slices of eggplant when you’re layering them in the pan. Make perfect little stacks. Then pre-plate the stacks, artfully drizzling some additional sauce over the top and finishing them with a sprinkle of chopped basil.