Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants sliced into about 1/2-inch slices Salt Flour and breadcrumbs to coat the eggplant slices 1/ cup of chopped basil pepper Olive oil or grapeseed oil for frying 6 large eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons whole milk 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced, or high quality shredded. The sliced fresh will taste so much better however
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Directions: |
Directions:Step 1 is to prepare a nice good tasting tomato sauce with garlic, basil - the works.. You will probably need 8-10 cups of sauce at least. You can use a nice meat sauce from a previous meal, or you can keep it vegetarian with just lamb if you like. Put the sauce to the side. Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with salt. Set aside to let the salt work the bitter juices from the eggplant, about 1 hour. that's the key trick to eggplant parm. You could also take the slices and soak them in salt water for about 30 minutes instead. Either way, this step is key. Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water, then dry the eggplant slices In a large bowl, mix the salt, breadcrumbs, basil and 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 it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Note: at this point, you could bake the eggplant slices instead of frying. But frying gives them a better flavor. Note that olive oil imparts a flavor to the eggplant slices. If you don’t like that, then use a vegetable oil for frying. In a large skillet get the oil hot and then drop a few slices in to quick fry. Work in small numbers and transfer the slices to a paper for draining. Salt the eggplant slightly while it is resting on the towel. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a lasagna sized baking dish with olive oil. Coat the bottom of the baking dish a generous amount of you tomato sauce. Then arrange the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with sauce. Scatter the Parmesan and mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Make as many layers as you’d like. You can also cut up a few fresh basil leaves and add those to a layer. End with cheese on the top. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. |