A sudden hankering for eggplant parmigiana led me to buy the ingredients over the weekend. It's been a while since I've cooked this but I used to make it so frequently that no written recipe is needed. This is all from memory:
Slice up some old bread (I used two-thirds of a three-day old garlic demi-baguette from Trader Joe's... I don't recommend using anything much older.)
Blend in a blender or food processor, if you're fancy.
And voila! Easy peezy homemade breadcrumbs!
Slice up an eggplant, about one-quarter inch wide.
Slowly begin heating up the oil... I used a mix of canola oil and olive oil, since olive oil splatters pretty nasty when hot. Also, if you're using olive oil to fry, use the regular stuff. Extra virgin olive oil is not for frying!
While you're at it, get out your casserole dish and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare the breading station! Whisk two eggs into a bowl and set out a plate or two for flour and the breadcrumbs you made.
Dredge the eggplant slices in flour first...
... and lastly, the breadcrumbs. Gently press down on the eggplant with your fingers or a fork to press the flour and breadcrumbs in.
Before you start frying anything, make sure the oil is hot. Eggplant, like Spongebob Squarepants, is super absorbent and will soak up insufficiently hot oil. Drop a breadcrumb into the pan. If it sizzles, you're ready to load in a few slices. These babies only need to fry for 2-3 minutes before flipping.
Meanwhile, coat the casserole dish with some pasta sauce... much easier than making a sauce from scratch and much tastier than plain old tomato paste. I used spicy arrabbiata for an extra kick of tastiness.
You can also use this time to slice up anything you'll be layering between the eggplant and sauce. You will need some fresh mozzarella cheese. I added four sliced tomatoes, though these aren't traditionally included in parmigiana.
Use a fork to lift up and check the fried side of the eggplant. Make sure it's golden brown before you flip!
Once both sides have been browned, lay slices of fried eggplant on the bottom of the dish. Layer mozzarella and extras as you please.
Add some more sauce and repeat!
When you've filled the dish or run out of eggplant, prepare the parmigiana for baking. Make sure the top layer is mozzarella and sauce, then pop the plate in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese has satisfactorily melted.
Let it cool for a few minutes, then go crazy.
Mangia!
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