Sandra's own eggplant Parmesan: thin eggplant slices double-dipped in egg and flour, fried until puffed, then layered with sauce, mozzarella and Romano and baked.
This is Sandy's own recipe; Sandy is Sandra herself. The eggplant is sliced thin, 1/8 inch, and given a light double coating: egg, flour, a dip of water, then flour again. In hot oil the slices puff up in about a minute.
They are layered with sauce, shredded mozzarella and Romano and baked until bubbly.
Ingredients
3 good sized eggplant (8 to 10 inches long)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Flour
Water
Oil, for frying
Sauce (her Simple Sauce for Pasta works well)
Shredded mozzarella and Romano cheeses
Flour for this recipeKing Arthur Baking Company makes all-purpose, bread, whole wheat and gluten-free flours.
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Instructions
Sauce the pan. Place a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass pan.
Slice. Wash the eggplant, trim off the tops and bottoms and cut into 1/8-inch slices.
Coat. Dip the slices into the egg beaten with water, then into flour, then water, and finally flour again.
Fry. Heat 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet until hot. Fry the slices until they puff up, a minute or a minute and a half, flip and cook the other side. Drain on paper towels.
Layer. Place a single layer of eggplant in the pan, cover with sauce, then cheese. Continue layering, ending with cheese.
Bake. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer until the cheese is bubbly.
Sandy wrote this the way experienced cooks do, without amounts for the flour, sauce and cheese. Her recipe above is unchanged. If it is your first time, these amounts will get you there:
Flour: about 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour on a plate, refilled as needed.
Water: a shallow bowl of cold water, about 1 cup, for the dip between the two flour coats.
Oil: 1 to 1 1/2 cups of vegetable or light olive oil, enough for 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a 12-inch skillet. Add more between batches and let it reheat.
Cheese: about 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella and 1 cup (3 ounces) grated Romano.
Doneness cues: the coating puffs and turns light golden in about a minute per side; the finished dish is ready when the sauce bubbles at the edges and the cheese is melted and spotted brown.
Pan: a 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. It serves 6 to 8.
Tips
Fry in batches so the oil stays hot and the slices puff instead of soaking up oil.
