What if I told you that there’s a dish that you can make at home (affordably), be transported into an Italian home and taste authentically Italian? You with me? What if that dish was also vegetarian but was as filling as a meat dish? Look no further than Eggplant Parmesan. This recipe comes to you after quite a few years of trying to find the ultimate Eggplant Parmesan.
The first time I had this dish was in the late 80’s, here in Toronto at an Italian restaurant. Back then I wasn’t really cooking and the restaurant was near my work, I gladly paid for this dish on many occasions. The second time I would this dreamy stack of eggplant was just after Y2K. I had gotten together with some high school friends and we gathered & supped at an Italian eatery on the College strip, also known as Corso Italia. The Eggplant Parmesan as this ristorante was thick, the many layers visible to the eye and the shape remained on the plate, even as I cut a piece with my fork.
That establishment went under and I was left hanging with no place that I knew of for my favourite Eggplant Parmesan. By this time, I had started to cook on a regular basis. I started to reproduce dishes that I had sampled outside of the home. I had tried asking Italian friends, tested out many recipes and until yesterday, I was never satisfied with the end result.
Now my patience has finally been rewarded. This is the ultimate Eggplant Parmesan and it’s a gift from the famous Mike’s Deli in The Bronx, New York. Bobby Flay held a throwdown challenge to Mike’s Deli to a challenge to make and be judged on the best Eggplant Parmesan. With all due respect, Signor Flay lost the battle early.
What makes Mike’s Deli’s Eggplant Parmesan special is that the recipe adheres to the KISS Prinicple (keep it simple stupid) and it’s definitely a slow food kind of dish. It’s absolutely imperative that you bread, dredge in flour and egg then fry the eggplant. The two other “tricks to this dish are to use your vegetable peeler to remove the skins and to thinly slice the eggplant lengthwise. I used a mandoline and the slices should be about 1/4 inch thick.
The baking vessel you want to use depends on how many layers you want your Eggplant Parmesan to be. The smaller the vessel, the higher the stack. For this recipe, I used a roasting pan with 15″X12″X3″ dimensions. Another key part of the recipe that you should heed is the amount of tomato sauce. The recipe calls for 1 quart of marinara sauce, which equals about 4 cups. I simmered 2 cans of plum tomato sauce (796ml) which reduces to about 4 cups.
When assembling this dish, avoid the temptation to overly sauce between layers of eggplant: you’ll end up with something that is too rich and could very possibly end up as a mushy pile. Make your own marinara sauce (like I did) and reserve about a cup of it to serve along with each glorious slab. Serve a ladle on the bottom of the plate (as I did) or pour over and serve.
Finally, I’ve tried going “lite” by skimping on the ingredients used for frying and the result is not that good. You have to dredge the eggplant slices in seasoned flour, dip in eggwash and then in the breadcrumbs. Want a superior result? Make your own breadcrumbs – you’ll taste the difference. The most tedious part of this dish is time it takes to fry the eggplant but again, this step is imperative. Beyond frying the eggplant and making the sauce, the assembly and baking time are relatively short in time and you’ll be rewarded with what I think is the ultimate Eggplant Parmesan recipe. Buon appetito!
Eggplant Parmesan
(adapted from Mike’s Deli Famous Eggplant Parmesan)
1 baking vessel 15″ X12″X 3″
2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (lightly seasoned)
4 large eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup of milk
Approx. 3 cups of breadcrumbs (homemade preferred)
1 bunch of fresh basil leaves
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
grated Mozzarella cheese + some sliced Mozzarella for the topping
Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of plum tomatoes (796ml), pureed
salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heated 350F oven
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add your olive oil along with the diced onions and minced garlic. A add a pinch of salt and allow the onions and garlic to sweat down for about 5-7 minutes. Now add the pureed plum tomatoes, turn the heat up to bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Lightly season with salt and add black pepper to taste (your eggplant is seasoned and cheeses will be added when assembling so season lightly). Simmer until the sauce has thickened (not runny). Set aside and keep warm.
- In the meantime, remove the skins from the eggplants with a vegetable peeler and then using a mandoline, carefully slice the eggplants lengthwise to about 1/4 inch in thickness. Set up your dredging station with three bowls: one with lightly seasoned all-purpose flour, the next one with your egg wash mixture and the third with your breadcrumbs.
- Dredge your eggplant slices with flour, then dip in the eggwash, followed by the coating in the breadcrumbs. Place a large skillet on your stove-top and add about 1/2 inch of oil for frying. Fry your eggplant slices in batches (on both sides) until just golden and reserve on a paper-lined platter or baking sheet. Add more oil along the way as needed.
- Pre-heat your oven and assemble your Eggplant Parmesan. Add a couple of ladles of sauce on the bottom of your baking vessel and lay a layer of eggplants. Top with sauce, some hand-torn basil leaves, some grated Parmesan and grated Mozzarella and continue to layer until you’ve reached the top of the pan. Top off with sauce, more hand-torn basil leaves, grated Parmesan and some slices of Mozzarella.
- Place your eggplant in your pre-heated oven (middle rack) for 25-30 minutes. Remove and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with some of the reserved warm tomato sauce, a garnish of basil and an Italian red, like an Ampeleia 2004 Sangiovese.
35 Responses
Ok Peter, first you give us Greek envy with all your fabulous Greek dishes – and now this? You’ve become an honorary Italian!
Love the Eggplant Parmesan recipe! I’m definitely going to try this one! Love the layers & the Marinara sauce looks delicious! thanks for the recipe!
Regards,
Sara @OneTribeGourmet
You should try leaving the flour but omitting the bread crumbs. Makes it much lighter and the highlights the eggplant more than the fry…..
Amber, I strongly disagree. I tried frying without the breadcrumbs and I did not like the taste nor texture. The breadcrumbs are a must.
@amber – I agree with Peter. Omitting the breadcrumbs takes something away from the dish. If you are worried about greasy food, make sure you are pan frying at the right temperature. That is, when you place your eggplant slices down, make sure they start to golden immediately. If not, they will be a soggy mess.
@Peter – I love the dish as a whole. The only thing I do differently is the marinara sauce. I like to grate a little carrot in the end, and I also like to puree the whole shebang with a bit of olive oil. The result is a smoother sauce.
Μμμμμμ… Îνα πιάτο meraviglioso, όπως θα Îλεγε η γιαγιά μου και η μητÎÏα μου, οι οποίες και οι δÏο είναι “βÎÏες” ιταλίδες από την πεÏιοχή του Piemonte (north Italy)…
να σου πω την αλήθεια και εκείνες δεν τις τηγάνιζαν με breadcrumbs αλλά με μόνο αλεÏÏι, δεν χÏησιμοποιÏσαν καθόλου αυγά ή γάλα…
φυσικά, αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι η συνταγή που μας γÏάφεις δεν θα είναι εξίσου νόστιμη ή και καλÏτεÏη ή ότι δεν θα την δοκίμαζα…
I am always open for new culinary explorations… and looks very tempting!!
I must say I have never had a true eggplant Parmesan with layer upon layer. I have really been missing OUT!!!!
I love this dish Peter and cannot resist ordering it when I see it on a menu. I have made it before and it was good, but I think your tip with breading the eggplants/aubergines will turn it into a superb dish. Thanks for posting it! I always wait with relish for you posting a veggie dish :)
Ah! I was already feeling hungry after my miserable lunch, I knew I shouldn’t have clicked on your link! It looks really really tasty. If I can persuade the boyfriend to let me fry anything ever again (I made a big deep-fried Indian biscuity mess on Saturday night and the smell still hasn’t left us completely!) I’ll give this a go!
You need to make this for me sometime. ;)
It looks so divine! What a beauty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Removing the skins of the eggplant is a nice touch. I always make my parmesan “rustic” style… but sometimes the skins are a little pesky!
Wow Peter this looks delicious. I could definitely have a plate of this for breakfast! I am very impressed with your picture too, these sort of dishes are so hard to photograph and your slice is perfect.
Removing the skins make sense as it contributes to the bitterness. I forsee making this on a stormy\rainy afternoon. yum!
Wow Peter! I make something very similar during summer time and it is one of our favorite dishes!
But yours look absolutely perfect!
Wow, this looks impressive. I have yet to enjoy a truly amazing eggplant parmesan. This might be the one.
Peter,
Do you soak your eggplant before cooking, or just peel and cook as written? I thought eggplant always had to be soaked in salt water before cooking or it would taste bitter. One good point to make about the breading and frying – it’s important that the eggplant be completely dry before flouring or the breading will eventually pull away from the eggplant and you’ll end up with a fried mess. I think I’m going to try this recipe for dinner in a few days, it looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Linda, no I didn’t, peel and fry as written.
Oh baby! Hubba hubba! I am making this after lent is over and NOT skimping. The only thing is that I hate peeling. Must enlist brother / friends for this labor.
Definitely making this for Mom’s birthday party! Eggplant parm is one of my all-time faves & this sounds fantastic!
this is my go-to dish at italian restaurants and i don’t think i’m exaggerating when i say that your layers are perfect! nicely done, peter. :)
Oh my goodness Peter those layers in this dish are perfect. You never cease to amaze me. One of these days I am coming over to eat at your table! You know I used to dislike this dish as a kid and now I am so happy my tastebuds have grown up, I can’t get enough of this dish!
Admirable job., Peter. It looks so neat! I’ve been eating eggplant parm all my life though I much prefer it when someone else makes it because I hate the frying part. I never soak it in water first (but do salit), I generally leave the skin on and I don’t flour first but I will next time.
I am prepared to revise my current eggplant parmesan dish to include breading the eggplant before frying.
This was a great post. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
This is one dish I have never experimented with in the kitchen. Love the neat layers and all the great advice to achieve the perfect result. Looks amazing!
Oh, wow. I love this! (Even if I’m normally not a fan of eggplant.) I’ve also made a grilled version and it was quite nice. :)
Love the combo. Sounds like a perfect side dish. What kind of oil do you use for frying, as it is not listed, but I suppose olive oil makes all the difference.
That looks so amazing! I need to make it a single serving though since I can’t get Matt to eat eggplant, sigh
Yummylicious. Anything with eggplant is good. Beautiful layers.
Eggplant parmesan is seriously one of my favorite dishes, EVER! I have loved it from a kid and wouldn’t hesitate to get it whenever we ate at an Italian restaurant. And there is nothing like homemade … you’ve done a fanastic job here!
I made eggplant parmesan once and I agree, it is really a very tasty dish, albeit a bit rich, but definitely lighter than moussaka! I love the perfect layers you have created, your dish looks very professional.
I’ve only just discovered your beautiful blog with all these delicious recipes! I look forward to trying out this eggplant parmesan.
Now this is one amazing eggplant parmesan! I really like the lasagna style!
Since I only discovered I really like eggplant within the last couple years, I haven’t made eggplant parm yet. This looks so comforting and delicious. Hard to go wrong with pan frying and cheese, of course. :)
I went to the market purposely for this dish. Printed out and will be on the table this weekend! As always, Peter, looks all full of fabulosity! ;-)