Authentic Eggplant parmesan starts with fried eggplant, breaded seasoned breadcrumbs, layered in marinara, with mozzarella and parmesan; baked golden brown.
Wash eggplant, slice, and salt heavily and place in a strainer for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make a breading station for the eggplant to be battered before frying. You’ll need three plates or shallow bowls:Dish One: Combine breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, oregano, basil, and cayenne.Dish Two: Crack the eggs and lightly beat.Dish Three: Add the flour.
After the 30 minute salting, rinse the salt off the eggplant. Blot the rinsed eggplant slices with a paper towel to dry them.Coat each eggplant slice in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Next, dip each slice into the egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture.Set coated eggplant aside on a plate. Let the eggplant sit for at least ten minutes so that the batter will adhere to the slices better when frying.
Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add the eggplant to the pan. Fry two to four slices at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan or the eggplant will become soggy.
Cook until golden on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place them on a paper towel in a plate to allow excess oil to drain before adding to the baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a ladle, spread out enough tomato sauce onto the bottom of a baking dish for each eggplant slice to lay on top of. Place each eggplant slice onto the sauce. Top each eggplant slice with a little more sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Notes
Click HERE to find out about salting eggplants. You can choose not to do this step, but salting the slices will help them not absorb so much oil during the frying process.I usually speed up the cheese browning, by turning on the broiler for the last few minutes, until that mozzarella is golden.
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