Eggplant Parm

Tonight I made a family staple, and a special favorite of Julia's, Eggplant Parmesan (or sort of). A true eggplant parm would probably involve breading, which mine doesn't, and a different mix of cheeses, but this is the version my family loves. Here's how I make mine.

Eggplant rounds frying

Ingredients and equipment:

• 3 medium eggplant.
• 1 jar good quality marinara, or homemade if you are feeling ambitious. I typically uses Newman's Own marinara, but Whole Foods' 365 brand isn't bad either.
• 12-16 oz shredded mozzarella, depending on how heavy handed you want to be with the cheese.
• 3 eggs.
• 1+ cup flour, seasoned to taste with an assortment of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning.
• Olive oil.
• Equipment - a large non-stick skillet, a large oval baker, a few flat bowls (I use a pair of soup bowls), and a cutting board.

The assembly line

The steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).
2. Cut the bitter ends off the eggplant, remove most of the skin (I like to leave a little for texture), and slice into 3/4 inch thick rounds.
3. Beat three eggs in a shallow dish or work bowl.
4. Make the seasoned flour in another flat work bowl.
5. Put a good amount of olive oil in the skillet over high heat.
6. Dip the eggplant slices into the seasoned flour, then into the egg, then into the skillet. Fry over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides (flipping in the middle).
7. Fry the eggplant in batches, adding more oil as needed (as the eggplant will soak up oil).
8. As the eggplant batches are done, fill the casserole dish, layering as you go. A little sauce on the bottom, then fried eggplant, then a healthy sprinkling of shredded cheese, more sauce, more eggplant, etc.
9. Make sure the top has sauce and cheese, adding some breadcrumbs if you wish.
10. When assembled, bake the casserole in the 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes.
11. Let it cool a little then eat. This time we had it with some simple spaghetti drizzled with olive oil, Italian seasoning and bread crumbs.

The finished product

Served with some pasta and a green salad, this serves our family for a couple of dinners plus maybe an individual lunch or two.