Basic Italian...Eggplant Parmesan

I agree with my friend Joe of DetroitEats who prefers his Eggplant Parmesan breaded and fried. The crunchy texture, along with the Marinara sauce and Mozzarella cheese melted on top is my idea of this classic dish.

I remember growing up in the NYC area and ordering this when I went to an Italian restaurant.  Now, it's nowhere to be found.  Most Italian restaurants you find these days serve more "elegant or "refined" Italian dishes, what you might call Northern Italian.  If you find eggplant it is usually roasted or grilled, hardly ever fried, unless you order eggplant fritters and that is usually served as an appetizer.

Well, no more, now that Joe has refreshed my memory, this recipe will be reappearing quite often on my dinner table!


Ingredients

1 medium Eggplant peeled and slice into rounds

1 cup flour

1 egg + 1/2 cup milk

1 cup Italian breadcrumbs

Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)

Mozzarella Cheese


Procedure

Using what is called “Standard Breading Procedure” bread your Eggplant by dredging it first in the flour, then in the egg and milk mixture and finally in the breadcrumb. It is important to make sure your hand is dry when dredging the eggplant in the breadcrumb or you risk the breading coming off due to wet hands.

Fry your eggplant in vegetable oil until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and keep warm in the oven until all the Eggplant has been fried.

To assemble top a fried Eggplant round with a dollop of marinara sauce and some shredded Mozzarella cheese. Place another round on top and repeat until you have 3 layers. Place in a hot oven until the cheese has melted and the Eggplant is hot throughout.


Marinara Sauce

1 can ground tomato (28 oz)

1 table spoon sugar

1 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

fresh basil

Lemon juice


Procedure

Place the first 5 ingredients into a sauce pan and simmer (low) for 45 minutes.

Add some fresh basil. I don’t chop or tear it. I just throw it in stem and all ( I pick them out later). The basil will steep in and flavor your sauce like you couldn't’t imagine. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more.

Pick out the basil and give your sauce a squeeze of lemon. Your done!

Recipe reprinted from Detroiteats.com