Ingredients
- Eggplant:
- 2 globe eggplant, cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick rounds
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- ½ cup flour
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 1 ½ cups plain panko crumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan, finely grated
- Basil Marinara:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 (15 oz) cans of diced tomatoes, one can blended slightly
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- Pinch of sugar, if needed
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella, freshly torn or shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan, finely grated
- 2 -3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Preparation
Step 1
Instructions Remove excess liquid from the eggplant by tossing the slices with a tablespoon of kosher salt until evenly coated on both sides. Place a colander in the sink and line the base and walls with the salted slices. Allow to sit for 45 minutes to allow the eggplant to release it's liquid. Don't skip this process or your eggplant will be soggy! Make the marinara while the eggplant is draining it's liquid by heating a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add one can of diced tomatoes. Blend the other can of diced tomatoes with an immersion blender for a few seconds before adding to the saucepan. Simmer, stirring occasionally. When the eggplant is nearly finished draining and the marinara is simmering, place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Finish drying the eggplant by spreading the slices on a triple layer of paper towels and top with another triple layer of paper towels then cover with a baking sheet and press firmly to remove as much liquid as possible. Allow to sit for a few minutes. Wipe off the excess salt from each slice. Set aside until ready to dredge. Pour the flour onto a plate then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Whisk two eggs in a bowl until well combined. Place panko crumbs and parmesan in a pie plate and mix well. Dredge the dried eggplant slices first in the seasoned flour, next in the egg, and lastly in the panko/parmesan crumbs until evenly coated; set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining slices. Bake the eggplant by carefully removing the HOT baking sheet from the oven and pouring three tablespoons of oil on the sheet; tip to coat evenly. Carefully place the panko/parmesan coated eggplant on the baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes then carefully flip the eggplant slices over with a wide spatula. Continue to bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Do NOT turn the oven off. Finish the marinara by adding the chopped basil to the marinara then taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste and a pinch of sugar, if needed. Finish preparing the eggplant parmesan by ladling spoonfuls of the marinara into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Place the crispy eggplant slices in the baking dish. Add a small spoonful of the marinara to the top of each eggplant slice followed by mozzarella cheese topping each slice. Sprinkle with some parmesan evenly. Place into the oven and bake until bubbling and the cheese is browned, about 13-15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes then top with freshly chopped basil. Serve and enjoy!