Eggplant Baked Florentine-Style

By á-3209

Delicious way to prepare eggplant! The recipe might use a lot of dishes and pots and pans, but the creamed spinach, mushrooms and béchamel sauce make it the best!

Ingredients

• 2 firm, heavy eggplants, sliced 1/2 inch thick 10-12 slices per eggplant
• 1 cup lour, for dredging, about 1 cup
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup panko or large homemade breadcrumbs
• 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
• 2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling
• Olive oil natural cooking spray or olive oil, for drizzling
• CREAMED SPINACH
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 3 large shallots, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 3 ounces Boursin herb soft cheese or cream cheese
• 1/3 About 1/3 cup half-and-half or whole milk
• Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) bag chopped organic frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• MUSHROOMS
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup brandy or dry sherry
• BECHAMEL SAUCE
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups warm milk
• Salt and pepper
• Nutmeg, grated to taste
• 2 cups shredded Fontina or mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Salt eggplant and let drain on kitchen towels for 30 minutes; press out excess liquid.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Set up breading station: Season flour with salt and pepper in shallow dish. Whisk up eggs in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Combine panko, fine crumbs, salt, pepper, 1 cup of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and parsley in another dish. If not using cooking spray, moisten the bread with olive oil. Coat eggplant in flour, egg then breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on 2 large baking sheets, spray liberally with cooking spray (if using) on both sides. Bake eggplant 10-12 minutes then turn and bake 10-12 minutes more until crispy and brown on both sides.

For the creamed spinach, heat a medium skillet over medium heat with oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add shallots and garlic, and soften 3-5 minutes. Add Boursin or cream cheese and melt; add half-and-half to thin a bit. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add spinach and heat through; fold in grated cheese.

For the mushrooms, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil, two turns of the pan. Add mushrooms and brown; season with salt and pepper. Deglaze the mushrooms with brandy or dry sherry.

For the béchamel, melt butter in a saucepot over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook a minute or two. Pour in warm milk and thicken, stirring constantly. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Switch on broiler and place a rack in the center of oven.

Make stacks of a slice of crispy eggplant, some spinach, mushrooms, another slice of eggplant, a dollop or two of sauce and a sprinkle each of Fontina or mozzarella and some Parmigiano-Reggiano. Arrange stacks in large shallow casserole or lasagna pan and carefully broil until tops are lightly browned and bubbly.