6-8Eggplants, Thickness of a soda can and 10-12 inches long
Instructions
Slice your eggplant into coins about 1/4 of an inch thick. When you slice it’s okay if they’re thicker but not thinner! We want good texture and minimize oil absorption so this step is crucial—TAKE YOUR TIME!
Once the eggplant is all cut season each slice with a little bit of salt on both sides and place on one of your sheet pans with a cookie rack and paper towel in a single layer. When you run out of room (because you will!) place more paper towels on top of the slices and add more eggplant slices to the top repeat until you’re done. Add a paper towel to the top of this layered arrangement and place a plate on top. Let this sit for a minimum of 20-30 minutes to remove moisture. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you wait.
Beat the 8 eggs with a fork and place them in the bowl. Put 2-3 Cups flour on your second half-sheet tray and all the breadcrumbs on the third sheet tray. Put a fork on each of the trays containing flour and breadcrumbs and one in the eggs (this will keep your hands clean as you work).
Remove the eggplant from the paper towels and throw out the paper towels. Separate them into small, medium, and large stacks. This might seem crazy but will help immensely with the next steps of frying and building the dish. I promise!!!
Standard breading procedure: take a bunch of slices and place them on the flour tray. Flip them all over and tap them lightly with the fork before transferring them to the eggs. Dip them in the eggs one at a time and transfer them to the bread crumbs coating both sides. Place the slices on the wrack you used to drain the salted eggplant. It’s okay to stack the eggplant on top of one another for this step.
Once you’re done add 2 cups of canola oil and 1 cup of cooking olive oil (or 3 canola oil) to a pan and heat until it shimmers. You can test the temp by dropping a little bit of breadcrumb in—it should start sizzling immediately. Don’t let the oil smoke! Fry the eggplant until golden brown and transfer to paper towels.
Season with a bit of salt when they come out. Work in layers like before once you’ve completed a layer add paper towels to the top and place more fried eggplant slices on the top and season with salt. Repeat until done. To assemble: Put half a cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan and smear it around. Place your largest eggplant coins on the bottom. Ideally one in the middle and 5-7 around that. Place 1 torn-leaf basil, tomato sauce, a little crumbled goat cheese, and a few torn pieces of Mozzarella (if the cheese is still wet pat it dry). Season with a little salt and pepper and repeat until you’ve got 3-4 slices in each column.Finish by sprinkling 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese and good olive oil over the whole thing. Bake @ 350f for 15-18 minutes. Turn on your broiler and finish for 3-5 minutes. KEEP AN EYE ON IT CAUSE IT WILL BURN. If it’s browning unevenly rotate the pan in the oven. If you don’t have a broiler feature crank the oven to 450f and add a few extra minutes 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven once the cheese is golden brown and delicious. If you’ve got a cake you can poke one of the stacks. There should be some resistance but not a lot. The eggplant will continue to cook while it rests. Let the eggplant parm rest for 10-12 minutes and serve. This also freezes well and will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Chop or tear the remaining basil and 1 small bunch of parsley and sprinkle over the top. Season with a little coarse salt, good olive oil, and pepper. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Eggplant Parm
Amount Per Serving
Calories 995Calories from Fat 666
% Daily Value*
Fat 74g114%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 17g
Monounsaturated Fat 46g
Cholesterol 131mg44%
Sodium 883mg38%
Potassium 1048mg30%
Carbohydrates 69g23%
Fiber 13g54%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 1075IU22%
Vitamin C 19mg23%
Calcium 192mg19%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.