I grew up in a place where eggplant was breaded and fried.
And it was good.
But while preparing an eggplant parmigiana for some house guests over the holidays, I did not crack an egg or touch a single crumb of bread.
This was also good.
Behold, the best roasted eggplant parm I have ever made. (With apologies to certain members of la famiglia; you know who you are.)
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel the eggplant (or not; I go both ways on this) and cut slices that are at least 1/4-inch thick (I go thicker than that even). Then it's onto a baking sheet with a good dose of Kosher salt, ground black pepper and olive oil.
Roast until nicely browned. (I flipped the slices once so that both sides could char a bit.)
Make a simple sauce. This one's got olive oil, garlic, hot pepper, a couple anchovy fillets (yes, anchovies), a handful of basil and some San Marzanos. And it only cooked for about half an hour.
Layer it all up, with fresh mozzarella and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Bake in the oven at 375 F for around 45 minutes and that's that.
I like my eggplant parm at room temperature, so it always sits quite a bit before I'll dig in.
On this particular occasion, a couple of house guests tried to stage a premature and completely unauthorized taste while it was still hot. These efforts, I'm happy to report, were thwarted.
As for the guests, let's just say they won't be trying that again anytime soon. Capeesh?
Having had the privilege of eating some of your roasted eggplant parm, I'd like to say here it was one of the tastiest things I have ever put in my mouth, Mr. M.
ReplyDeleteI was hooked. Followed your recipe and made my own version, too. Great but not as good as yours.
I'm doing this - to the letter - your sauce, your roasting and the room temperature. (So, if I can withhold from trying to taste early - can I get invited to your feasts?
ReplyDeleteTHS: High praise indeed. I thank you.
ReplyDeleteExcept now I feel guilty for that leg-breaking I gave you for trying to eat the thing before it cooled off.
Anyway, glad to see you're recovering.
Claudia: Yes, you may come, of course. Fair warning: See above for important details regarding guests who do not adhere to room temperature rules.
Look good and nice and healthy!
ReplyDeleteI am going to invite myself too, if I ever have the good fortune to visit your country:)
ReplyDeleteHealthy, gorgeous and I'll wager delicious. That is a combo that can't be beat. I'm new here, so spent some time browsing your earlier entries. I really love the food and recipes you feature on your blog. I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeletelove the eggplant parm.
ReplyDeletenow I'm ready to try something more challenging...maybe mortadella?
Mm! Too lazy (and time constricted) to do it myself though. Come cook for me! *giggle*
ReplyDeleteFor those with gluten intolerance, your recipe without the bread crumbs is certainly a winner. My lady friend just dies when I get to eat all the dishes with breading, and she has to be content with salad, or eggs, or----. Jack
ReplyDelete