Eggplant Parmesan

At about this time every winter, I find myself missing the sun-kissed flavor of tomatoes from our late-summer garden. The flurries of snow and cold have given me a serious case of wanderlust, and I've found myself daydreaming of exploring cliffside villages along the Southern Italian coast. To satisfy these sudden (and oddly specific) cravings I turned to an old favorite recipe for comforting eggplant parmesan, a.k.a. melanzane alla parmigiana. The lightly fried eggplant, punctuated with robust cheese and a bright tomato sauce, will fill your home with enticing aromas as it bubbles in the oven.

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, about 2 ½ pounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

Pinch crushed chili flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 cup semolina flour, see notes

1 teaspoon dried thyme

4 eggs (more if needed)

Vegetable oil for frying

2/3 cup grated parmesan

1 pound mozzarella, grated or thin sliced

Salt and black pepper

Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish

Directions:

Slice the eggplants crosswise into ¼-rounds. Salt both sides and arrange between layers of paper towels on a sheet pan. Place another sheet pan on top and weigh it down with a couple of books. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes to an hour.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery, rosemary, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 7-10 minutes, until onions are becoming translucent. Add chili flakes and garlic, then sauté for another 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes, with all the juices from cans, and bay leaf. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cover with lid ajar. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and using the back of a wooden spoon to crush tomatoes as you go. Remove lid, stir in butter, and season to taste with salt. Turn off heat and allow to cool in the pot.

After the eggplant has drained, wipe slices clean of excess salt, and gently squeeze each between two paper towels in the palms of your hands. Pour vegetable oil into a high-sided skillet, ½-inch deep, and heat over medium-high heat to 385 degrees.

Next set up your dredging station. In one shallow dish mix one cup of the flour with the semolina, thyme, 1 ½ teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. In another dish whisk the eggs with a couple of tablespoons of cold water. In a third dish, add the other cup of flour. Working one at a time, dredge eggplant slices first in the plain flour, then in the egg wash, and finally in the seasoned semolina mixture. Shake off excess and set dredged slices aside on a platter. When oil is hot, work in batches to fry eggplant slices until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Allow the oil to reheat between batches. Drain fried slices on a paper-lined plate.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Then it is time to assemble the dish. Cover the bottom of a large 15 x 10 x 2-inch baking dish with about 1/3 of the sauce. Next, arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer. Over each eggplant slice spoon a dollop of sauce, then cover with mozzarella and parmesan. You should use about half to a third of the cheese in this layer. Then repeat, using up remaining eggplant, sauce, and cheese, placed in the same order. Depending on the size of the dish, you will have either two or three layers of eggplant. Make sure the eggplant is not totally smothered in sauce, leaving some of the crisp browned edges visible. You might not use all the sauce. Place baking dish in the oven, middle rack, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until bubbly and cheese has lightly browned on top. Pull from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish top with parsley and basil.

Notes:

This makes a hearty vegetarian entrée or a delightful side dish to roasted or grilled meats. For a meaty twist, you could try adding pancetta or Italian sausage to the sauce.

Semolina is a coarse ground durum wheat used most often in some pasta dough recipes. I love the texture and flavor that it adds to the breading mixture. If you cannot find semolina you could use coarse ground cornmeal as a substitution. Plain breadcrumbs could also be used.

Serve this with a side of buttered pasta such as spaghetti or rigatoni, and plenty of grated parmesan. Any extra sauce, or "gravy" as Italian Americans call it, will come in handy served on the side. Enjoy!