Eggplant Parmesan
About this Recipe
By: Rachel
Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables. When prepared correctly, its texture is luscious and creamy, like cutting into a soft stick of butter. Its taste is sweet and mild; it takes on the flavors of the spices or sauces in which it is cooked.
It is one of those foods that can be absolutely delectable when prepared correctly, and completely inedible when it is not. Like an overcooked piece of gorgeous ahi tuna or filet, or broccoli that has been boiled into flavorless mush, bad eggplant simply isn’t worth eating. Unfortunately, eggplant is all too often prepared by inexperienced or impatient hands, so I rarely order it in restaurants.
There are two very common mistakes in the world of eggplant cookery. The first is choosing a poor fruit in the first place. A good eggplant is shiny and smooth. It feels heavy for its size when picked up, and is firm in texture. When you look at the bottom of the fruit (the blossom end), it will have a small mark either in the shape of a dash or a circle. Those with a dash are sweeter, with more flesh and fewer bitter seeds; they are the only ones I buy when I shop for eggplants at the market. If you cannot find a good eggplant, better to change the dish than to buy an inferior fruit.
The second, and probably most common, mistake is undercooking it, leaving the diner with a bitter, astringent taste; wholly unpleasant in texture—rubbery and chewy rather than silky-smooth.
A well-prepared eggplant parmesan is a beautiful thing, flavorful and filling, with plenty of rich tomato sauce and stretchy cheese. There are many ways to prepare it, commonly by frying or roasting the eggplant. Frying is hands-down my favorite, although it is a bit more work. Your reward is a crispy, golden coating with a creamy, delicious interior—it is almost like eating fried mozzarella. If you are short on time or do not wish to fry your eggplant, head on over to Food52 for Nancy Jo’s roasted version.
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 medium, high-quality eggplants (see above)
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup flour (60g) for dredging
- 1 ½ cups (75g) panko
- 1 recipe Versatile, Everyday Vegetarian Red Sauce or 3-4 cups (675-900g) marinara sauce
- ½ pound (225g) shredded mozzarella cheese*
- 1 cup (100g) freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Spaghetti for serving, prepared al dente, about 2 ounces (55g) dried per person
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- Select excellent-quality eggplants (heavy for their size, with smooth skin, and with a dash, not a dot, on the bottom).
Step 2
- Slice the eggplant into roughly half-inch (1cm) rounds.
Step 3
- While the eggplant is resting, you may begin the next steps.
- Heat your oven to broil.
- Prepare three shallow dishes, one with flour, one with the beaten egg, and one with panko. If your tomato sauce is cold from the refrigerator, heat it through; room temperature or warm sauce is fine as is.
- Finally, heat a skillet over medium heat with oil about half an inch (2 ½ cm) deep.
Step 4
- Remove the paper towels, and brush most of the salt off of the eggplant slices. In turn, coat each eggplant slice with flour, then egg, then panko, and set aside on a sheet pan or platter.
Step 5
- Place a paper towel-lined sheet pan near your cooking station. When all of your slices are prepared, test the oil. When you begin to dip the eggplant in the oil, it should bubble and sizzle immediately.
- Place the eggplant rounds in without crowding them. If the oil is the correct temperature, the eggplant will cook in about 90 seconds per side, and will be golden brown on the outside while fully cooked and creamy within, offering no resistance when you cut into it. You may need to add more oil, or adjust the heat, as you cook each batch.
Step 6
- Place the cooked eggplant slices on the lined platter to drain, and continue until all of the eggplant has been fried. Remove the oil from the heat and set aside.
Step 7
- Toss the spaghetti with tomato sauce, and transfer the spaghetti to individual dishes or one large casserole. Top with eggplant slices, and cover generously with cheese. Broil for 2-4 minutes, watching carefully, until bubbly and golden brown.
- If desired, spoon a little more sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh basil, and serve hot.
Beverage Pairing
By: Olivia
This Eggplant Parmesan is crisp and creamy, cheesy and rich. With the tomato sauce so prominently featured, the wine should have a decent acidity and richness to stand tall against the depth of flavors present in the sauce. This leads me to Mount Etna in Sicily. Etna Rosso is a red wine from the region often made with Nerello Mascalese. It has great acidity with red fruit, dried herbal, and earthy notes. You could also explore Etna Bianco made largely of Carricante. Wines are often crisp with notes of apple and orange blossom but with a mineral undertone. The lesson here is to enjoy Sicilian wines with this dish but also more in your life.
