PDF A raging controversy exists in the Pittsburgh community regarding whether or not to peel our eggplants. This is a debate I knew nothing about until a passionate colleague tracked me down and, exasperated, rattled off the horrendous story about eating a friend’s Eggplant Parmigiana that still had the skin on. “Ugh! It was like a long piece of plastic running down my throat,” she lamented. Well, little did she know that I had also made an eggplant dinner over the weekend, and like her offensive friend, I left the skin on. I have never peeled an eggplant in my life. So I did a little googling and found that the people who peel their eggplants are very passionate about it, but generally, people say if you want to peel it, peel it. If you don’t, don’t.
I think that the answer lies in the preparation. I can see how the skin could be tough and hard to swallow. But with proper cooking, the skin should soften and become more digestable, and in some cases, useful. Without the skin, slices of eggplant would be more likely to fall through the grill plates or disintegrate into a casserole. In my version of Eggplant Parmigiana, the skin is eatable because I cook it twice: once during the frying and again as it bakes in the oven. But even without the baking, I enjoyed nibbling on the extra fried eggplant pieces and would leave the skin on if I made it again! In either case – peel or no peel – I think you’ll enjoy the first of the Northside Kitchen’s Throwback Thursday recipes, the 1970s favorite Eggplant Parmigiana.
- 1 large eggplant, peeled or unpeeled as you prefer, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 2 tsp dry Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh minced parsley
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh minced basil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 3 cups fresh mushrooms (cremini, oyster, porcini, and/or button)
- 4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 5 slices provolone cheese
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiana cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese, divided
- Vegetable Oil (for frying)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare a large-bottomed cast iron or cast aluminum pan for shallow frying by filling it with about an inch of vegetable oil and setting it over medium-high heat. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temp until it reaches 250 degrees F. Meanwhile, prepare the eggplant for frying. In a shallow bowl, beat together the eggs with one teaspoon each of fresh parsley and basil, plus 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs with Italian seasoning.
Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs. Scoop some of the crumbs over top with your hands and gently press into the top and sides. Stack the coated eggplant slices on a plate. Gently place the eggplant slices one at a time into the hot oil and allow to fry for about 5 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Remove to a cooling rack to keep the breading crisp.
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese with 1/4 cup parmigiana, 1/4 cup mozzarella, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper. Set aside.
In a stainless steel saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
Now, assemble the casserole. Spread one cup of marinara sauce evenly into the bottom of a 9″x9″ baking pan. Arrange a single layer of tomato slices over the sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp parsley, 1/2 tsp basil and a pinch of salt. Dot 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese by the tablespoon-ful between the tomatoes.
Now arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer over the tomatoes and ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cover the eggplant using slices of provolone cheese. This will protect the breading from sogginess when you add the next layer of wet ingredients.
Over the provolone, scatter the mushrooms in a single layer. Then continue layering with more ricotta, sauce, and then the mozzarella and parmigiana cheeses, and finally the remaining tomato slices. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over each tomato slice and finish with a sprinkling of sea salt.
Bake uncovered in a 350F degree oven for 30 minutes, until bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Just before serving, finish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley and basil.
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