Eggplant Parmigiana (Melanzane alla parmigiana)
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
3 eggplants (firm)
250g mozzarella (sliced)
1 small onion (finely sliced)
basil leaves
1 garlic clove (crushed)
6 Tbls. parmigiano
½ cup olive oil
400g ripe tomatoes
100g flour
salt
pepper
pinch of sugar
Method:
1. Cut the eggplants into slices lengthwise, not thicker
than 10mm (¼ inch). Place the slices on a large platter.
Sprinkle them with salt, place a weight on top, and let stand
for roughly 1 hour.
2. In the meantime, brown the onion and the garlic
in the oil over a very low flame, then add the tomatoes and
let simmer for about ½ an hour, stirring frequently.
When this is done, pass through a sieve and add a pinch of
salt.
3. Cut the mozzarella into very thin slices and let
them dry on a cloth. Chop the basil and mix it with the parmigiano.
4. Wash the salt off the eggplant and dry them. Coat
with flour and fry in very hot oil, turning them to brown
and when both side are done, lift them out and drain on a
paper towel.
5. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Coat a deep baking
dish with olive oil and put in a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle
with parmigiano, pour on a layer of tomato sauce, and cover
with slices of mozzarella. Repeat this layering until all
the ingredients have been used, then cover with tomato sauce,
sprinkle with more grated parmigiano and bake for about 30
minutes.
Tip: This dish is very good hot or at room temperature
and makes a good antipasto. Also, if you don't like vegetables
you can use chicken fillets or schnitzels instead of the eggplant.
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