Eggplant Parmesan

This past week I went to Young's Market here in Vero Beach and they had eggplant for .69 cents a pound. 
This as well as the cooler weather enspired me to make one of my husband's favorites, eggplant parmesan.

What you will need:
oil for frying - I use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and peanut oil. 
3-4 medium sized eggplant sliced in rounds about 1/2 inch thick not too thin.
whole milk mozzarella sliced in small pieces or grated.
freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Breading:
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs beaten with a tablespoon of water or milk
1 cup bread crumbs- I use Italian style but have even used panko breading
Marinara Sauce Ingredients:
This sauce is so easy and quick to make.  You will never open a jar again.
10-12 ripe tomatoes chopped or 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (I use the Pomi brand in a box when I do use fresh)
8 to 10 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste as you go

Begin with the sauce by heating a pan to medium high and adding the oil.  Then when it is hot, add the garlic and stir to cook but not brown, just soft.  Add the tomatoes and stir.  Once it begins to simmer turn the heat down to medium or lower depending on how hot your stove runs just to keep it at a low simmer for about 20 minutes.  Once it has reduced a bit, you can turn the sauce off and add salt to taste.

Now to the main player in the dish:
Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
Put the following in a bowl for each, flour, egg mixture and bread crumbs and add salt and pepper to each one. (Julia Child always said to salt and pepper or season each portion of your dish and it really does work well)
Take the eggplant and dredge in flour then egg mixture, lastly the bread crumbs.  lay on a sheet.
Heat the pan with oil on medium high and wait till you can drop a bread crumb in and it sizzles. Add eggplant in one layer in the pan and do not overcrowd. Once they are very brown on one side, turn over and brown on the other side.  Once the are done (they will be soft in the middle), take out of the pan and place on paper towels to drain.
Once the eggplant are cooked, the next step is to put this masterpiece together.
Use a baking pan that will hold two layers of your eggplant.  Sometimes I split it into two small pans.
Begin by spreading some of the sauce on the bottom.
Take the eggplant and place one layer in the pan. Do not overlap.
Cover the eggplant with sauce then top with the whole milk mozzarella and then sprinle with the parmesean (or pecorino) cheese.
Next layer starts with the eggplant first, sauce, and your mozzarella and parmesan.
Put in the oven for 30 minutes.  It should be bubbling at the bottom and the cheese beginning to brown on top.
Take out and let sit 5-10 minutes before cutting into.
Serve with your favorite pasta and use the rest of the sauce if you have any left or take olive oil, garlic, and chopped Italian flat leaf  parsley, (as always salt and pepper to taste) in a bowl and mix with the pasta.  I never cook the pasta over 7 minutes to keep it al dente (to the teeth) not mushy.
Manga!





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