Eggplant Parmesan
Sometimes I just have those days where there's only one thing in the world that I want to eat, and will refuse all else until I get what I want. If I want to make something, but can't seem to find the recipe in a book that I have, I usually stick with foodnetwork.com. You can even look up recipes by the Author (or actor, or cook or whatever they are called). Say you really love watching Giada De Laurentiis' show (women love it because she makes bomb Italian food...men love it because she's a babe), and you saw her make a recipe but you weren't able to write it down. You can also look up recipes from the shows themselves on the Food Network Channel.
I bought an eggplant a few days ago, and knew that I wanted to make Eggplant Parmesan. It reminds me of my dear friend Chelsea, who used to eat a lot of it when she worked at Milazzo, an amazing Italian restaurant in Sacramento that is no longer (I'm still sad about this). As you know, I never used to eat outside the box when I was little. This DEFINITELY included eggplant. I wouldn't go near it. But once Chelsea forced me to try it in high school, I was down. Please check out this recipe if you are eggplant-shy...it is so delicious and very mild. This recipe also keeps it so juicy- but not in a gross, slimy way.
Eggplant is available annually, but is best from August-October, because they require a warm season to grow. It is a called a nightshade, which puts it in the same category as a tomato and a potato. It grows on a vine from a small tree, and is JUST. SO. STINKIN. PRETTY! I mean, I just love them. They feel rubbery, almost like dolphin skin, and it's really fun to touch- I also thoroughly enjoy sticking my hands in lots of flour, or a huge bag of rice, because it also feels good...don't judge, try it sometime.
This is a Bobby Flay recipe, and I will post the way I made on here, but you can find the original recipe here.
Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 tablespoon of red chili pepper flakes
1 cup of pre-made breadcrumbs (the original recipe calls for you to make the breadcrumbs the day before with stale bread, but I didn't have that kind of time)
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
2 eggs
A splash of water
Cooking spray (for the bottom of the baking pan)
Vegetable oil (or olive oil) for frying
1 jar of tomato sauce of your choice (I used the Bolognese sauce from Trader Joe's)
12 ounces of mozarella cheese
12 ounces of shaved pecorino romano
1 bag of fussilli or penne pasta
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly spray or butter the bottom and sides of a baking dish and set aside.
3. Place the bread crumbs into a large, shallow bowl. Add the herbs, salt and pepper to your liking (I didn't add any because I don't like to add much salt, and with something very flavorful already, I left it out). In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons of water together.
4. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.
5. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer to the egg plant to a baking sheet.
6. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
7. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 385 degrees- I don't have a liquid thermometer, so I just waited til it looked really hot. Maybe 10 or 15 minutes?
8. Working in small batches, fry a few of the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
9. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with some of the tomato sauce and arrange the eggplant over the sauce.
10. Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, grated mozarella, and shaved pecorino
11. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30-40 minutes
I put my Parmesan eggplant over pasta. If you don't know how to boil water and make pasta, all bets are off and you probably should start at the VERY beginning of cooking basics.
NOM NOM NOM
I bought an eggplant a few days ago, and knew that I wanted to make Eggplant Parmesan. It reminds me of my dear friend Chelsea, who used to eat a lot of it when she worked at Milazzo, an amazing Italian restaurant in Sacramento that is no longer (I'm still sad about this). As you know, I never used to eat outside the box when I was little. This DEFINITELY included eggplant. I wouldn't go near it. But once Chelsea forced me to try it in high school, I was down. Please check out this recipe if you are eggplant-shy...it is so delicious and very mild. This recipe also keeps it so juicy- but not in a gross, slimy way.
Eggplant is available annually, but is best from August-October, because they require a warm season to grow. It is a called a nightshade, which puts it in the same category as a tomato and a potato. It grows on a vine from a small tree, and is JUST. SO. STINKIN. PRETTY! I mean, I just love them. They feel rubbery, almost like dolphin skin, and it's really fun to touch- I also thoroughly enjoy sticking my hands in lots of flour, or a huge bag of rice, because it also feels good...don't judge, try it sometime.
This is a Bobby Flay recipe, and I will post the way I made on here, but you can find the original recipe here.
Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 tablespoon of red chili pepper flakes
1 cup of pre-made breadcrumbs (the original recipe calls for you to make the breadcrumbs the day before with stale bread, but I didn't have that kind of time)
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
2 eggs
A splash of water
Cooking spray (for the bottom of the baking pan)
Vegetable oil (or olive oil) for frying
1 jar of tomato sauce of your choice (I used the Bolognese sauce from Trader Joe's)
12 ounces of mozarella cheese
12 ounces of shaved pecorino romano
1 bag of fussilli or penne pasta
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly spray or butter the bottom and sides of a baking dish and set aside.
3. Place the bread crumbs into a large, shallow bowl. Add the herbs, salt and pepper to your liking (I didn't add any because I don't like to add much salt, and with something very flavorful already, I left it out). In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons of water together.
4. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.
5. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer to the egg plant to a baking sheet.
6. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
8. Working in small batches, fry a few of the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
10. Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, grated mozarella, and shaved pecorino
NOM NOM NOM
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