Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 2 medium eggplant ( 2 1/4 lbs) - Cut into 1/2in thick round slices Kosher Salt to taste, plus 1 tbs 5 cups breadcrumbs 1 tbs dried oregano 1 tbs dried thyme Ground Pepper, to taste Vegetable oil All purpose flour for dredging 6 large eggs, beaten 2 tbs, whole milk Olive Oil, as needed 7 cups of Marinara Sauce 2/3 cup Grated Parmesan, divided 1 lb Fresh Mozzarella, thinly sliced
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Directions: |
Directions:Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to allow the juices to weep from the eggplant (1 hour) Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 tsp. salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme and season with pepper. Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour, then dip into the egg, and finally dredge in the breadcrumbs. Shake off excess and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
In a large straight- sided skillet, pour the vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees on a deep frying thermometer.
Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown. (about 3 minutes per batch). Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel baking sheet and season with salt to taste.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush a 15 x 10 x 2 baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 cup of marinara sauce, layers half of the eggplant slices on top. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 cup of sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat the layers. Finish top layer with mozzarella layer. Bake until hot and just brown (approximately 30 minutes)...Serve immediately |