Eggplant Parmigiana di panamausa
2016 Vegan Version
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups fine dry bread crumbs (not tempura mix or croutons)
1 cup unsweetened soy or other non-dairy milk alternative
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh black pepper (optional)
2 medium-large aubergines
3/4 cup olive oil
1 4-ounce container of Follow Your Heart dairy free parmesan style shredded cheese alternative
1 24-ounce jar of prepared marinara sauce
Directions:
Slice eggplant as desired - half-inch sections, then halved or quartered, seems to work best. If your eggplant is too large, you may not want to use all of it. Put flour into a 1 gallon size plastic bag, followed by eggplant slices. Seal bag and shake until all slices are coated with flour. You may want to add a little flour to ensure all pieces are evenly coated, but avoid caking.
In a small bowl, add the soy milk. Place dry bread crumbs (preferably the kind you buy in a canister - I like the Italian style for this recipe) in another small bowl. Mix the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper in with the bread crumbs.
Skewer each eggplant slice with a fork, removing it from the flour bag and submerging it in the soy milk, then in the bread crumb mixture, and place on a waiting plate. Repeat until all eggplant pieces are coated.
In a large (number 8) skillet, heat the oil at the medium burner setting. You will need to wait several minutes for the oil to reach a suitable temperature for frying. Place a plate lined with paper towels next to the range top. Use tongs to remove the eggplant slices from the plate and place them into the oil, but don't crowd the skillet.
Once the frying side is browned, turn the cooking slices over. Eggplant cooks fairly quickly, so each side should be done in around two minutes if you have the heat set correctly. When the other side is browned, remove cooking slices and place on waiting plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool. The oil and the skillet continue to get hotter as frying progresses, despite the adjustments you may make to the burner setting. Keep this in mind, as the first batch you fry will take much longer to brown properly than the last batch, which will go very quickly.
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In an eight inch baking dish, alternately layer the eggplant, fake parmesan, and marinara sauce, ending with the sauce. Spread out the sauce layer with a fork or spatula to evenly cover all the eggplant pieces and fake cheese bits. You will only be able to build two layers, and should use half of each ingredient per layer.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, then remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes to cool. Serve over a bed of spaghettini or other pasta of your choice. You can prepare your pasta while the eggplant bakes, and if you time it right they will both be done together and you can congratulate yourself on how smart you are.
Recommendation: Serve with a side salad and fresh garlic bread made with a suitable non-dairy butter alternative.
2001 Vegetarian Version
Ingredients:
4 eggs (3 if they're very large)
1 cup flour
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons kosher salt (optional)
2 medium-large eggplant
1 cup olive oil
8 ounces provolone cheese, grated
4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
1 26-ounce jar of prepared marinara sauce
Directions:
Slice eggplant as desired - half-inch sections, then halved, seems to work best. If your eggplant is too large, you may not want to use all of it. Put flour into a 1 gallon size sealable plastic bag, followed by eggplant slices. Seal bag and shake until all slices are coated with flour.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs thoroughly. (You may want to thin this with a little water.) Place dry bread crumbs (preferably the kind you buy in a canister - I like the Italian style for this recipe) in another medium bowl. Mix the kosher salt in with the bread crumbs.
In a large (number 8) skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Place two plates between the breading area and the skillet; line one with paper towels.
Skewer each eggplant slice with a fork, removing it from the flour bag and submerging it in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs, and place on the waiting plate. Once you have about six slices prepared, use tongs to place them into the oil.
Prepare three more slices as above, and then turn the cooking slices over. Eggplant cooks very quickly, each side should be done in about 90 seconds if you have the heat set correctly. While the other side cooks, prepare three more slices. Remove cooking slices and place on waiting plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Continue with the next six slices you have prepared until all the slices are cooked.
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In an 8 inch baking dish, alternately layer the eggplant, grated provolone cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and marinara sauce, ending with the sauce. You will only be able to build two layers, and should use about half of each ingredient per layer.
You may end up with a few leftover pieces of eggplant, and you can smear whatever remaining marinara is left in the jar on them and eat them as a snack while you wait for the dish to bake. If you have a covered dish, you may want to use the cover, but I usually don't. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until cheeses are thoroughly melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving - over a bed of vermicelli is how I like it best. You can prepare your pasta while the eggplant bakes, and if you time it right they will both be done together and you can congratulate yourself on how smart you are.
Depending upon how hungry you and your dinner party are, this recipe serves between four and eight people.