New and improved eggplant parmigiana

Easy method yields great flavour and texture!

I thought I didn’t like eggplant parmesan. All the times I’d previously tried it, it had a mushy texture and because it’d been prepared the traditional way, as a layered casserole, it didn’t serve up in a particularly attractive fashion. I got to thinking about my fabulous Portobello parmigiana and realized a similar method could produce a wonderful, meaty-textured, pretty eggplant parm – and I was right. You can use purchased marinara sauce, if you prefer, though the recipe below is easy and really tasty. We like to toss hot, cooked pasta with the remaining marinara and divide among serving bowls, then place the cheesy, saucy eggplant rounds on top of the pasta. If you happen to have any leftover cooked eggplant, reheat gently in the oven then layer in a bun with a little more sauce for a delectable sandwich. My preferred wine pairing with this dish is Brotte’s Père Anselme La Fiole, a delightful red Côtes-du-Rhône that I find to be a great match with a wide variety of comfort foods. The uniquely-shaped bottle houses a medium-bodied wine with pleasing fruit and spice notes, blended from Grenache and Syrah grapes.

Ingredients

Marinara sauce:

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 jar (680 mL/23 oz) Passata (crushed, strained tomatoes)
• Pinch baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) each dried oregano and basil
• Few dashes hot sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Eggplant:

• 1 medium eggplant, ends trimmed and cut crosswise into 8 slices
• Few pinches coarse salt
• 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free)
• 2 eggs, at room temperature (replace
• 1 1/2 cups (85 g) panko or homemade dried breadcrumbs (regular or gluten-free)
• Few pinches garlic powder and dried oregano
• 3 – 4 tablespoons (45 – 60 mL) olive oil, for frying
• 10 ounces (285 g) mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
• 1/2 cup (45 g) shredded parmesan
• Chopped fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Method

• Make the marinara sauce up to 48 hours ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a medium saucepan placed over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 3 – 4 minutes, until translucent and softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, for 2 more minutes. Stir in the Passata, baking soda, oregano, basil, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Let the mixture come to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside if using within 2 hours; otherwise transfer to a clean jar or food storage container and refrigerate until needed.
• Place eggplant slices on a wire rack and sprinkle both sides with a pinch of coarse salt. Set aside for 10 – 30 minutes to release excess moisture then wipe with paper towels to dry eggplant thoroughly and remove salt.
• Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.
• Set three broad, shallow bowls on the counter. Place flour in one, crack and beat eggs in the second and stir together breadcrumbs, garlic powder and oregano in the third.
• Dip eggplant slices, one at a time, in flour to coat on both sides, then dip into egg, letting excess drip off. Finally, dip into breadcrumbs, pressing down so crumbs stick to both sides of the eggplant. Place coated eggplant on a clean plate.
• Place eight dollops (about 2 tbsp / 30 mL each) of marinara sauce, about 4 inches (10 cm) apart, on the parchment-lined baking tray you prepared earlier. Set aside.
• Once all eggplant rounds have been dipped and coated, cook them in batches. Heat 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 mL) of oil at a time in a large skillet, then fry eggplant 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Place each cooked eggplant round on one of the dollops of sauce on the prepared baking tray. Repeat until all eggplant has been fried. Note that you can also spray the coated eggplant lightly with oil and air fry or oven bake if you prefer; simply cook using method of choice until golden brown.
• Top each eggplant round on the baking tray with another spoonful of marinara, followed by mozzarella and parmesan, dividing cheese evenly among the eggplant.

• Bake at 400F uncovered for 30 minutes until cheese is browned and melted. Top with chopped fresh chopped basil and serve hot.

Serves 4.