Melanzana Parmigiana

Melanzana Parmigiana
Eggplant Baked with
     Cheese and Tomato sauce

DE-GORGE THE EGGPLANT    (drain the bitter juice)
4 lbs Eggplant (about 3 - 4 medium to large Eggplants)
1/4 cup Coarse Salt

MAKE THE SAUCE
2 Tbl Olive Oil
2 - 3 cloves of Garlic (cut into halves)
1/4 cup Onion (very finely chopped) [OPTIONAL]
4 cups Plum Tomatoes (about 8 - 10, peeled, seeded & chopped)
     OR 4 cups Tomato Puree
     OR 2 (two) 6-oz cans of Tomato Paste,
          diluted with water to make 4 cups
1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

FRY THE EGGPLANT
Oil for frying (Peanut, Sunflower, Corn, etc)

ASSEMBLE
fresh Basil leaves (10 large OR 15 medium OR 20 - 25 small)
3/4 lb Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese (grated OR thinly sliced)
1/4 cup Parmagiano-Reggiano Cheese (grated)
2 Tbls Pecorino Romano Cheese (grated)

DE-GORGE THE EGGPLANT    (drain the bitter juice)
1. Peel the skin off of 2 of the 4 eggplants (with a potato peeler)
   so that the final dish has some skin but not too much.
   (Some people prefer to peel ALL of the Eggplant,
   (others prefer NOT to peel.)
2. Slice Eggplant crosswise into 3/8" slices
3. Sprinkle Coarse Salt on all of the slices.
   Stand them upright in a large colander over a large bowl.
   The Salt will cause a bitter juice to exude from the eggplants.
   Set aside to drain about 30 - 40 minutes.

MAKE THE SAUCE
4. Heat a medium sauce pan, add Olive Oil,
   Add Garlic, saute until Garlic begins to turn brown.
   Remove browned Garlic and discard.
5. [OPTIONAL] Add Onion, saute until golden.
6. Add Tomatoes OR Tomato Puree OR diluted Tomato paste,
          add Black Pepper & Red Pepper Flakes, stir,
   Lower heat, simmer un-covered about 30 - 40 minutes.
   Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, crushing the tomatoes,
   until tomatoes have broken down to make a thick sauce.
   There should be about 1 1/2 - 2 cups.

FRY THE EGGPLANT
7. Meanwhile, rinse the Eggplant slices under cold running water.
   Lay them on a large towel and dry well.
8. Pour Flour onto plate.
9. Heat large frying pan, add Oil, heat almost to the smoking point. (375º - 385º)
10. Lightly dust the Eggplant slices with flour and slip them into the hot oil.
   (only flour the Eggplant slices as you are ready to fry them
   (flouring them ahead of time will cause the flour to become soggy.
11. Without crowding the pan, fry the Eggplant slices, in batches,
   turning once, until they are well browned,
   removing them to paper towels to drain.
   [Do NOT add oil to the pan when there is Eggplant in it !
   [Cold oil will immediately be absorbed by the Eggplant !
   [If you must add more oil, wait until one batch is finished,
   [then, add the oil and wait for it to heat up again.
   [If the Oil is hot enough, the Eggplant will not absorb too much.

ASSEMBLE
12. Pre-heat oven to 375º F.

13. In a large baking dish (about 12"x9"x2 1/2")(about 14-15 cups)
   put 1/3 of the Eggplant in one layer.
14. Spoon 1/3 of the Tomato Sauce on top of the Eggplant.
15. Tear or snip with scissors 1/2 of the Basil leaves.
         Sprinkle them on the Sauce.
16. Sprinkle 1/2 of the Grated Cheese on the Sauce.
17. Spread 1/3 of the Mozzarella Cheese
18. Make a second layer with
   1/3 of Eggplant, 1/3 of Sauce,
         1/2 of Basil leaves, 1/2 of Grated Cheese, 1/3 of Mozzarella.
19. Make a third layer with
   1/3 of Eggplant, 1/3 of Sauce, 1/3 of Mozzarella.

20. Cover dish tightly with foil
21. Place in pre-heated 375º F oven at mid-level OR lower-mid-level
   Bake covered for about 30 minutes
22. Remove foil, bake an additional 15 - 20 minutes
   or until it is bubbling and the topping begins to brown.
23. Remove from oven, let stand about 20 - 30 minutes. Serve.

         This can be cooked ahead and served at room temperature.

         OR it can be cooked the day before, cooled, covered & refrigerated.
         Re-heat covered with foil in a 325º oven for 20 - 30 min.