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Eggplant Parmesan

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Eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese star in this Italian-American classic.

By Jesse Griffiths
Sep 20, 2022
Jump to the Recipe
90 Minutes
4 Servings
Medium

Chef Jesse Griffiths may work at Dai Due in Austin, which is famous for their local meat, but he clearly knows his way around a vegetarian classic too. When you combine tomatoes, eggplant, and mozzarella, something magic happens. Chef Griffiths opts to simply dredge the eggplant in flour, rather than coat it in breading. The result is less greasy and more flavorful, almost reminiscent of an eggplant lasagna.


Make sure you’re using high-quality canned tomatoes, as they’re a major component to the dish. We like Biannco diNapoli for this recipe—buy the whole ones and crush them by hand to add body to the sauce. Our 10x6.6” Oval Baking Dish fits the eggplant parmesan snugly and its naturally non-stick porcelain surface makes clean-up easy. Place a Sheet Pan underneath to catch any drips in the oven.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese star in this Italian-American classic.

Jesse Griffiths

90 Minutes
4 Servings
Medium
Ingredients
  • 1 pound eggplant, preferably small, firm and fresh
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 3 cups olive oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 14-ounce can high quality whole canned tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • 1 ball fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced, about 8 ounces
  • 6 sprigs fresh basil, leaves only, roughly torn
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
    1.

    Preheat oven to 325F. Slice the eggplant crosswise into ⅙”-thick rounds and sprinkle with salt. Layer the slices in a Pasta Insert or colander. Allow the eggplant to stand for about 10 minutes.

    2.

    Dredge the eggplant slices in flour on both sides, then shake and toss in a sieve to get rid of any excess flour.

    3.

    Pour the olive oil into a Dutch Oven and heat over medium-high until oil reaches 350F. Working in small batches, fry eggplant until it’s lightly browned, 2–3  minutes per batch, flipping once. Adjust heat to maintain temperature so the slices don’t absorb too much oil.  Drain well on a Sheet Pan Rack set into a Sheet Pan, or on a paper towel lined-plate.

    4.

    Spread about ⅙ of the canned tomatoes on the bottom of the 10x6.6” Oval Baking Dish. Layer ⅙ of the eggplant slices on top, followed by another portion of the tomatoes. Dot with slices of mozzarella, torn basil leaves, and a sprinkle of salt. Repeat this until you’ve used all of the tomato, eggplant, mozzarella and basil. Top with a layer of grated Parmesan.

    5.

    Bake until cheese is melted and starting to brown and sauce is bubbling around the edges, 30–40 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm or room temperature.

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