Monday, April 21, 2008

Eggplant Parmesan

I really like eggplant parmesan if the eggplant is fried and crispy. So many times when I order it in a resturant, its soggy and then I dont like it. Im not really sure where I got this recipe. Ive been making it with these ingredients for a long time. A couple years ago I was watching Mario Bartoli on the Food Network and he had a great tip for crispy eggplant parmesan. By letting the eggplant "sweat" for 30 minutes before frying it, it gets alot of the moisture out, then you end up with great eggplant with a crispy breading that stays on!

1 large eggplant, 1/4 inch slices
1 egg
1 T water
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1 C bread crumbs
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
enough oil to cover bottom of frying pan 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 ball of fresh mozzerella cheese, packed in water

Lightly salt the eggplant slices and set in a large colander to rest for 30 minutes then rinse eggplant and pat dry with a paper towel.

Slice mozzerella cheese into thin slices and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together egg and water to make an eggwash and set aside.

In a shallow dish mix flour, paprika, oregano,and a dash of salt and pepper, In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Dip the eggplant intp flour mixture to coat it lightly on both sides, then dip into the eggwash and let excess drip off. Then dip into breadcrumb mixture and be sure to get a thick coat on the eggplant. Fry eggplant in oil on both sides until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.

After all eggplant is cooked, lay slices slightly overlapping in a shallow baking pan. Pour marinara sauce over eggplant and top with slices of mozzerella cheese.

Broil 6 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediatly

1 comment:

Robin said...

I haven't had eggplant parm in ages! I need to make this recipe soon :-)