Melitzana (Eggplant) Parmesan

There are two vegetables that are almost as satisfying as eating meat. They would be mushrooms and eggplant.

The Greeks and Italians share the same name for eggplant - melitzana. Here, I have an Italian classic that's a vegetable-like lasagna.

This dish is very simple...use good ingredients like quality mozzarella, good canned plum tomatoes, fresh basil and some homemade breadcrumbs.

Whenever I go to my Italian neighbor's home, one of the first things I notice is the smell. The house and the aromas coming from the kitchen smell Italian.

That was my goal. To prove my point, I invited our neighbor over "for a coffee" just as I had thrown the eggplant parmesan in the oven.

She immediately was curious as to what I was making and I made her wait for the dish to be ready.

She only had to wait about 30 minutes for what would be a surprise to her. I think we all have a little bit of snobbery when it comes to others outside of our ethnicity trying to "do our own food".

I could see my neighbor holding her nose up high...until she saw the slab of eggplant parmesan. She love the form (did not collapse), the aroma already won her over and she said, "Peter, this tastes like Sicily"!

I told her, " it better...I added a few anchovy fillets when I made the sauce".

Melitzana (Eggplant) Parmesan

2 large eggplants, sliced lenghtwise to 1/2 in. thickness
coarse sea salt
1 can of whole plum tomatoes, hand crushed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 anchovy filletss, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
sunflower oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
grated Mozzarella
grated Parmesan

1. Cut the ends of your eggplant off and then using a mandoline, cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices. Lay the slice out on a tray and sprinkle each slice with some coarse salt. Allow the bitter juices to leech for 40 minutes.
2. In the meantime, Place a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat and add your olive oil add your olive oil and anchovy fillets and saute for 3 minutes to soften and perfume the oil.
3. Add your onions and garlic and lowert to medium-low and saute for 10 minutes to soften. Now add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste and simmer until the sauce is nice and thick. Reserve.
4. Wipe the excess salt and moisture from your eggplant with kitchen towels. Now set up your dipping stations of eggplant slices, a large bowl of egg/milk mixture and your breadcrumbs. Get another large skillet on the stove and throw on enough sunflower (1/2 inch) oil over medium-high heat.
   
5. If your cooking on your own, pre-dredge your eggplant so that you may pay full attention to frying the batches of eggplant. If you have help, have the other person do the dredging and other to do the frying. Dip the eggplant in egg/milk mixture, then the breadcrumbs and fry on both side until golden brown. Fry in batches and reserve on paper towels. Discard the sunflower oil.
6. Preheat your oven to 400F (middle rack) and commence assembly of your eggplant parmesan.
7. Grease a 14" X 12" baking dish and spread some tomato sauce on the bottom. Now place a layer of eggplant, some sauce, scatter some basil, grated Mozzarella and Parmesan. Continue layering these ingredients until your you've reached your fourth and last layer of eggplant and pour over the remaining sauce, basil and grated Parmesan.
8. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for approx. 20 minutes and then allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
   

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