Eggplants alla parmigiana (aubergines à la parmesane)

Here's a recipe my Italian friend cooks with her wife.

He doesn't like the "drying step" of this recipe, he doesn't have enough patience so she uses to help him, for this part.

Eggplants alla parmigiana are one of our favorite dishes. This is really easy to make, but you just need time ...

For this recipe that I cooked for the first time, you'll discover that my first picture is not equal with what you'll really need.

 

Because I doubled almost each ingredient !

 

And you won't need olive oil, but neutral oil ! I'm so used to cook with olive oil, that I made a mistake on this picture.

So, don't trust the pic, just trust my words ! 

Here what you'll need for 4 persons :

• 3 eggplants
• 300 grammes of wet mozzarella
• 4 eggs
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tomatoes cans
• Flour
• Parmigiano
• NEUTRAL oil.

Step 1 : 

This step must be done, for the best, 3 hours before. If you can't, you'll need 30 minutes for sure. Your eggplants must lose a lot of water.

Cut them in slices and put them into a colander. Drizzle with cooking salt. It will help to leave to sweat. 

Step 2 : 

Prepare your quick tomato sauce. In a large bowl, or in your blender, add your  cans, 2 cloves of garlic peeled, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and and pour the half of one can of water.

Step 3 : 

Then, blend all that and let cook on a low fire for 15 minutes.

Step 4 : 

After 3 hours, rinse CAREFULLY your eggplants. Be careful to not keep too much salt.

Step 5 :

My friend's favorite part :)

On paper towel, dry all the eggplants slices. Make tower with towels ...

Step 6 : 

Now ... Whisk your 4 eggs together and pour enough flour in a small dish.

Dip eggplant in the flour then in eggs.

Step 7 : 

Finally, let them fry in oil until they become ... fried ! YO ! 

After an eternity... you'll have a beautiful dish ...

... And a beautiful mess ! 

At this point, you can already eat eggplants, if you want. They are just delicious ! 

Preheat your oven at 180°C (350°F / Th 6)

Step 8 : 

In a oven dish, pour tomato sauce, eggplants, crumble some mozzarella, then some parmigiano grated, and cover with tomato sauce.

And redo it, to end with tomato sauce.

In the oven for 20 - 25 minutes if your tomato sauce was cold (if, as me, you made it in the afternoon, in the same time as drying eggplants time) or 15 minutes if your tomato sauce is already hot.

Buon appetito !

Recapitulative for 4 persons :

• 3 eggplants
• 300 grammes of wet mozzarella
• 4 eggs
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tomatoes cans
• Flour
• Parmigiano
• Neutral oil.

This step must be done, for the best, 3 hours before. If you can't, you'll need 30 minutes for sure. 

Your eggplants must lose a lot of water.

Cut them in slices and put them into a colander. Drizzle with cooking salt. 

In a large bowl, or in your blender, add your tomatoes cans, 2 cloves of garlic peeled, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and and pour the half of one can of water.

Then, blend all that and let cook on a low fire for 15 minutes.

After 3 hours, rinse CAREFULLY your eggplants. 

On paper towel, dry all the eggplants slices. 

Whisk your 4 eggs together and pour enough flour in a small dish.

Dip eggplant in the flour then in eggs.

Let them fry in oil.

Preheat your oven at 180°C (350°F / Th 6)

In a oven dish, pour tomato sauce, eggplants, crumble some mozzarella, then some parmigiano grated, and cover with tomato sauce.

And redo it, to end with tomato sauce.

In the oven for 20 - 25 minutes if your tomato sauce was cold or 15 minutes if your tomato sauce is already hot.