Crunchy Eggplant Parmesan
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 8 to 10small eggplants
- Salt
- 2cups all-purpose flour
- 3large egg yolks
- 2cups dry bread crumbs or panko, seasoned with 1 teaspoon each salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 3cups tomato sauce, preferably homemade
- 4 to 6ounces packaged mozzarella, shredded or diced
- Freshly minced basil or parsley, for serving
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Set a large ovenproof wire rack over a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Step 2
With a small, sharp knife, starting just below the stem, cut each eggplant lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices, keeping them attached at the stem. Place them on paper towels and press down on the eggplants to fan the slices out. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and set aside.
- Step 3
Measure out 2 cups ice water. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the egg yolks and half the water until almost smooth, then whisk in the remaining water. Add a little more water if the batter seems too thick; it should be runny, like glue.
- Step 4
Place the bread crumbs and seasonings in a medium bowl and lightly mix and crush together with your hands.
- Step 5
In a large, deep skillet, heat a generous ½ inch of vegetable oil until shimmering (about 350 degrees).
- Step 6
Working in batches, dip eggplants in the batter, dredge in bread crumbs and add to the skillet. Fry until nicely browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat if the eggplants are browning too quickly. Turn and cook until browned on the second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to the rack set over the baking sheet and season with salt; transfer the baking sheet with the rack to the oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining eggplant.
- Step 7
In a wide skillet, heat the marinara sauce over low heat until bubbling. Divide the mozzarella into 8 to 10 piles (one for each eggplant). Pick up and place the piles of cheese in the sauce, spacing the piles out so they melt separately. You may need to do this in 2 batches.
- Step 8
Divide eggplants on plates. Place a spoonful of sauce next to or on top of each eggplant. Top sauce with melted mozzarella, lifting it out with a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Trader Joe's sells frozen breaded plain eggplant cutlets, one of the best things in entire store. Start with those, fry them in olive oil, line pan with em, add homemade or jar marinara, add sautéed spinach, mushrooms if you wish, top with mozzarella, bake 350 et voila. 20 mins. Done and yum.
Great recipe, though it’s very much over complicated the way it’s written. Just look at the ingredient list and wing it, really, it’s not difficult! Batter and bread sliced eggplant. Fry in safflower oil. Top with mozzarella shreds and pop in oven to melt. Plate. Spoon warmed marinara over eggplant. Grate Parmesan over it. Bam. That’s your recipe in 200 characters. Crispy. Delicious!! Served with simple Italian side salad.
In Sicily, they soak the sliced eggplant in milk for half an hour, then press all the liquid out before the breading process. This makes for super-tender eggplant.
Used regular size eggplant, cut separate slices lengthwise. Two half-inch or less slices per person is sufficient, so don't need so many eggplants. Flour batter should be slightly runny, mine was too thick, so too much batter. Nevertheless, served next to/slightly on top of polenta (baked with grated parmesan and melted butter) and the good tomato sauce with a dollop of mozzarella and was a big hit at dinner party.
Perfect crisp! I used Asian eggplants sliced for less moisture content and an easier time handling them in the oil. What I like is you can fry ahead of time and pop them in the oven when ready to make dinner if pressed for time in the evening.
Very tasty. Tom made. But overly complicated. No fanning
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