Eggplant Parmesan
 

Eggplant Parmesan


Get a nice midsize black beauty eggplant from your local market


when looking at eggplants of the same size choose one that is firm but light


cut the eggplant into disks


take the disks and soak them in a large bowl containing warm water


let sit for a few hours to leech out any acid bitterness within the eggplant


remove disks and allow to dry to normal consistency


take an egg and scramble in a bowl


take 2 large flat dishes


in one flat dish pour a cup of breadcrumbs


leave the other dish empty


dip the eggplant disks one at a time in the egg then bread both sides in the bread crumbs and then place in the empty flat dish


when all the eggplant is breaded you are ready to fry them


in a large frying pan ( I use cast iron) place either corn oil or olive oil , set on medium / hot flame till oil is hot


place your eggplant disks in the frying pan and cook till golden brown on each side


continue until all your eggplant is cooked


stack your cooked eggplants in a flat dish lined with pepper towel to remove excess oil


let sit for 1/2 hour


take a clean frying pan put a tbs of olive oil in it and warm on a medium flame


when warm pour in your favorite jar or home made pasta sauce and cook till hot


place your eggplants in the sauce and submerge them so they are all covered in the sauce


cut up thin slices or mozzarella cheese and pour over the top till completely covered


cover the pan with a lid , a clear lid is best but not necessary so you can see when the cheese melts


when the cheese is melted the eggplant is ready to eat


serve on toasted Italian bread or in a dish with favorite side dishes

Yummy! Thanks

My favorite dish!

Thanks so much. I love eggplant!

I have made this almost exactly like this recipe and it's delicious. Takes time to soak the eggplant and then I pressed mine within paper towels. It's worth it.

Husband was Sicilian, mil taught me (Polish descent) this way: Not to soak those discs, but layer in a flat bottom colendar, sprinklings salt generously on each layer, using cotton kitchen towel between layers to absorb yet he moisture leeched out...then a heavy plate on top of all.....let set for hour or so, while making red gravy.

for breading... 3 pie plates...1- flour, 2 -egg scrambled, 3 - breadcrumbs( homemade from dried bread seasoned with s/p, dried basil, oregano, grated Parmesan cheese)...prepare discs in that order, fry in either deep fryer or frying pan on stove with good amount of olive oil. Then layer in pan with red gravy and grated mozzarella, bake in oven.......in "old Italian" neighborhood in Chicago' sandwich of this on fresh baked Italian, crusty bread, with roasted green peppers.....oh, brings back glorious memories!!!!!!!!i do it now at home, but why did it taste so much better then?

>>>Not to soak those discs, but layer in a flat bottom colendar, sprinklings salt generously on each layer, using cotton kitchen towel between layers to absorb yet he moisture leeched out...then a heavy plate on top of all.....let set for hour or so, while making red gravy.<<<

This is the way the recipe I use says to do it. Takes time but worth it. I also bake my eggplant parmesan. Such a delicious dish!

I don't understand the soaking in water...this veggie is so full of water, reason for the salting...of course, you wipe them dry before breading. If the eggplant is ripe, it does not have a bitter taste....I also peel the skin in strips before salting......like I do cucumbers...sometimes the skin is tough and bitter.........

Oh yum!!! I don't make it because I am the only one that likes it - but it is all that I order when ever we go to a good Italian restaurant. When my dad was not going to be home for some reason for dinner, ever so often my mom would fry eggplant - some how it never made it past they frying stage. She and I would just eat it.

I agree...many of the less known varieties of eggplant aren't bitter at all....for some reason we're conditioned to the big black, bitter type! If you shop the farmer's markets, in season, they're much fresher and much less bitter. I grow my own, and love the Listada types, as well as the newer fairytale. Never let them sit around, use them as soon as you get them, they get more bitter with age.