Eggplant Parmesan - Parmigiana di Melanzane

Photo: Giselle Cagli

Ingredients

Ingredients:

kilograms (42 ounces) of san Marzano or Picadilly tomatoes

1 1/2 kilograms (53 ounces) of eggplants

400 grams (14 ounces) of Fior di latte cheese

10 tablespoons of parmigiano reggiano cheese

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped onions

Some basil sprigs

1 cup Olive oil (or as desired)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Slice eggplants lengthwise (about 4-5 mm thickness). Eggplants should not be sliced too thin to prevent them from burning while frying. On the contrary, if eggplants are cut too thick, they will absorb too much oil.

Toss eggplants with salt and place them in a colander.The secret to a liquid free recipe is draining enough water from eggplants. Some recipes suggest to let eggplants drain for about 1 hour. I let them drain overnight.

According to Neapolitan tradition, eggplants should only be fried with olive oil long enough to acquire an intense golden brown color. Fry 4 to 5 slices at a time. In other Italian regions, eggplants are previously dipped in egg batter or/and flour before frying.

Once fried, eggplants are transferred to a plate and covered with paper towels to drain excess oil. Make sure to eliminate excess oil: there is nothing worse than a Parmigiana drowned in oil.

To prepare the sauce, the most recommended type of tomatoes are fresh, ripe San Marzano or Picadilly. These kind of “plum” tomatoes, are considered by many Italian cooks to be the best sauce tomatoes

In a pot, boil water and add tomatoes, and blanche for about 1 – 2 minutes, the necessary time to soften them. The more time you boil tomatoes in water, the more water they absorb.

Once blanched, tomatoes are passed through a hand-held vegetable mill. This useful tool besides from speeding up the process by easily removing skin and seeds (which determines acidity in tomato sauce) from tomatoes, it produces a sweeter and better quality of sauce.

In a saucepan, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, and sliced garlic. Add chopped onions and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add sauce and simmer for about 1 hour or until sauce is thickened. Add some basil leaves and salt to taste

The type of cheese used in Parmigiana di Melanzane is crucial for the final result. Since Buffalo Mozzarella usually has high level of serum (which is a sign of freshness), Neapolitans do not use in Eggplant Parmesan because it becomes soggy. Therefore, they prefer to add sliced Fior di Latte, previously squeezed to eliminate excess liquid. Some Neapolitans even slice it, place it on a tilted plate, and leave it overnight in the refrigerator.

.Arrange eggplant slices in bottom of a baking dish (I used an oval baking dish 13- by 11- by 2-inch), overlapping slightly if necessary. Spread over tomato sauce. Cover with Fior di Latte slices, and Parmigiano Reggiano. Add some whole basil leaves on top. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, Fior di Latte, Parmigiano Reggiano, and basil. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake at 200° C (about 400 F), uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden, approximately 30-40 minutes. It is very important to let it cool for about 30 minutes before serving to appreciate flavors better.