Eggplant Parmesan

Adapted from Melissa Clark, NYTimes

This is not the Eggplant Parmesan you would make if you were using Marcella Hazan’s recipe in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking or eating in Italy. My guess is it’s a version of Eggplant Parmesan attributable to the Italian-American immigrants who arrived in large numbers between the 1880s and the 1920s.

My own grandmother was born in 1897, in her family’s apartment at 193 Mott Street, New York City. She was the youngest of eight children and the first to be born here, making her the first natural-born American in my family—since my mother was from England. “Nanny” was a good cook and made fried eggplant often, but I don’t remember her ever making Eggplant Parmesan.

Eggplant Breaded with Plain Dried Breadcrumbs

Melissa Clark wrote a piece for The New York Times called “Parmigiana Dishes to Warm Weary Souls.” She uses panko, but when I make Eggplant Parmesan—or any kind of schnitzel—I use 4C plain (unseasoned) dried breadcrumbs. Plain dried breadcrumbs are what recipe writer and cookbook author Rachel Roddy uses, and, as always, I follow her advice.

Notes

Here are some things I find helpful when making this dish:

– A breading set. The one I use is by Küchenprofi and is sometimes available on Amazon. I laughed at the idea the first time I saw it in a catalog, but when I used one at my friend Lamar’s house, I was sold. I ordered one immediately and now use it all the time—for schnitzel, chicken cutlets, anything that needs a bound breading. It’s a million times easier than using three plates and absolutely worth getting if you bread a lot of things.
– A Pyrex 11-cup casserole (I first found it in the grocery store) to bake it in.
– I grate the Parmesan with a classic Microplane.
– For the mozzarella, I use the large holes on a box grater.
– I use the medium strainer from a SALT set I bought years ago at Bed Bath & Beyond. It’s no longer available, but the mesh is just right for this: not too fine, so the eggs strain easily and the rope-like protein structures—which interfere with smooth breading—are left behind.

Serves 4 with leftovers

A little butter
1 recipe of Melissa Clark’s Simple Tomato Sauce
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 to 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese (get the really good stuff—don’t skimp here)
6 large eggs (start with 4; add 2 more if needed)
Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour, not sweet rice flour)
Plain dried breadcrumbs (not seasoned)
Vegetable oil (I use grapeseed)
2 globe eggplants or 4–5 small Italian eggplants (not skinny Japanese)

Make the Simple Tomato Sauce and let it cool before layering, or make it ahead so it’s ready to go.

Beat the eggs and strain them through a not-too-fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Don’t skip this step—it removes the chalazae (the rope-like protein strands) that make the breadcrumbs clump rather than adhere smoothly to the eggplant. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.

Wash and dry the eggplant; don’t peel it. Slice into rounds about ⅓ inch thick.

Set up your breading station with three plates: one with flour, one with the strained eggs, and one with breadcrumbs.

Season the flour generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Dredge the eggplant slices in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Set the breaded slices on a platter as you go.

Shallow-fry the slices in vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides. Be careful not to let them burn. Transfer each piece to a fresh platter as it’s done.

While the eggplant cools a bit, grate the mozzarella and Parmesan into separate piles. Set out the sauce, cheeses, and eggplant so they’re all within easy reach.

Butter a deep casserole dish (about 3 inches deep). Begin layering in this order:

– Sauce
– Parmesan cheese
– Eggplant
– Mozzarella

Repeat:

– Sauce
– Parmesan cheese
– Eggplant
– Mozzarella

…and so on, ending with sauce and Parmesan. (Do not end with mozzarella.) By the time I’m done, I’ve used all the sauce and mozzarella.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes, or until the dish is bubbling all the way through and the top is just starting to brown. Let it rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Before Going into the Oven - Parmesan Cheese on Top