This Eggplant Parm is truly the best!

The best recipe that is not a recipe!

From: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/eggplant-parm-groat

You know those recipes we hold near and dear to our hearts because they are really the greatest ever of all time? Well, we’re using this series as an opportunity to wax poetic about them. The eggplant parm of test kitchen manager Brad Leone's mom, to be exact (he's been talking about it for months). They truly are the greatest recipe of all time (aka GROAT). Here’s why.

Mom’s eggplant parm is one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. It all starts with a homemade sauce; this step cannot be skipped. For Mich (that's my mom) it's olive oil, onion, garlic, and whole peeled tomatoes, likely a little basil, and maybe some dried oregano. Cook, cook, cook until the onions fall apart. Not too much onion, you're not making stew.

Next, she uses thick, peeled circles of eggplant, like ½–¾ inch thick. Spread the slices out in a single layer and sprinkle them with salt. This helps draw the water out of the eggplant and helps maintain a meaty consistency during and after frying. I like to be able to taste the eggplant and not just thin layers of breaded mystery.

From there, it's all about frying in olive oil in a cast iron pan that’s bigger than most dinner plates. The old egg-wash-and-breadcrumb combo (mom likes the fine stuff in the cardboard can) does the trick. I like a little black pepper in the egg but not sure how mom feels about that. After frying, drain the eggplant on paper towels to help absorb some of the extra oil that it soaked up. This is super important: eggplant can act like a sponge and soak up whatever you put it in, especially oil.

Now, I prefer the Parm layered in a rectangular baking dish, like a 9 x 13. Put a little sauce on the bottom first, then a layer of eggplant, then freshly grated mozzarella cheese and a little grated Parm. Season with salt and pepper then add another layer of sauce. Repeat until you're out of space or eggplant. It’s a nice idea to use block mozzarella grated in between the layers and then use fresh mozzarella on top for melting and browning. Then bake at 375˚ for about 45 minutes—you may need to broil the top for a minute or two to get the cheese bubbly and golden.

The big secret about this dish is to wait before serving, when it's barely warm or even at room temp. The family’s favorite way to eat eggplant Parm, though, is to eat it ice cold right from the fridge. Wanna top that? Place the cold eggplant parm on some warm crusty bread, sandwich style or open-faced. Cold eggplant Parm is certainly on the top five most satisfying and comforting foods known to man, it’s a fact**.

**As a Test Kitchen, we ate three trays of eggplant parm in less than 36 hours. It. Is. That. Good. So do like Brad says and "Make this dish times two."

Eggplant Parmesan

Easier Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan can be made really loosey goosey depending on the time that you have on hand. I've combined these different methods in different ways and always had delicious results. Occasionally  I like using the America's Test Kitchen method for preparing the eggplant if I am going to go for a lighter option. Oven-frying is less oily and more tasty in my opinion. Sometimes if I'm in a rush I will forgo the breading step altogether. Bread crumbs could be added to the top of the casserole if desired. I make this easier by using jarred sauce. 

If you want to go the extra mile just make this recipe from Bon Appetit. It is really easy to make your own sauce and make it with these loose directions http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/eggplant-parm-groat

olive oil
garlic, 4-5 cloves, chopped
 1/4 to 1/2 onion, chopped
12 - 16 plum tomatoes, stemmed and skinned if you wish, or do what I do and put them in with the skins on and pick them out later (or not) or 2 cans of whole tomatoes
basil and oregano

Then simmer for a long time until everything falls apart. Th olive oil really is the key to good sauce. Add more than you think you need and then add a little more!

1-2 globe eggplants, sliced
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 chuck of fresh mozzarella, sliced
sauce

I don't peel eggplant. I like purple.
Slice eggplant into 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Line a tray with paper towels and put slices down then sprinkle with kosher salt. Let them rest for 10-20 minutes, then blot dry.

Season some flour with salt and pepper, Dredge eggplant slices in flour and set on a drying rack. Beat some eggs and dip the slices in the egg wash; then dip in Italian-seasoned bread crumbs putting them back on the drying rack as you finish. Then, you can choose to oven fry or pan fry the eggplant.

Pan-frying:
Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. Then pan fry each side until golden brown. Place fried slices on paper towels to blot oil.
Oven-frying:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread some oil in a sheet pan and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Add eggplant slices and cook for 15 minutes. Flip slices and add more oil if necessary. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or until slices are crispy on the outside.

Make casserole:
Put about 1/2 c sauce in the bottom of a 9x 13 pan. Place eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Add more sauce, eggplant, shredded cheese until you run out of eggplant. Finish with slices of fresh mozzarella on top. Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes. You may want to broil the top at the end of cooking to brown the cheese.

Take out of the oven and let it set for around 15 minutes. Enjoy the heavenly goodness with a salad and some garlic bread.