Monday, December 20, 2010

Eggplant Parmigiana

From all the recipes & excepts I've read today, apparently chicken & veal parmas are an immigrant invention! Below is a combination of the best recipes I've read throughout the day.For this recipe, I haven't mentioned amounts for some of the ingredients, as they are to personal taste. Recipe is best when doubled.

Equipment:

Peeler
Chopping Board
Grater
Knife
Casserole Dish / Roasting Pan
Saucepan
Wooden Spoon
Paper Towel or Clean tea-towel

For the Eggplant:

1 large Eggplant, peeled, 1cm slices
breadcrumbs (I prefer cornflake crumbs - and make sure if you're buying them that they don't have fish or milk!)
oil
egg substitute (watery)
melty vegan cheese

For the Tomato Sauce:

small can of tomatoes/jar of passata
small can of tomato soup
italian herbs
dash of balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
oil
1 small onion
1 tsp garlic (more if you like it!)
1 tsp ginger (less if it's overpowering for you)
OR  follow the Luscious Lasagna recipe, minus the TVP/mock meat for more flavour


Making the Eggplant

Preheat oven to 180-200°C
Salt eggplant, leave for 20 minutes. Wash off salt & juices, pat dry with paper towel.
Crumb eggplant by dipping in egg mixture, then coat in breadcrumbs. Fry in oil. Drain & cool.


Making the Tomato Sauce

Sauté the onion in oil. Add the crushed garlic, ginger, salt, pepper & italian herbs (if using dried herbs).

Add the tinned tomatoes and some water or vegetable stock, stir.

Add balsamic vinegar (and italian herbs if using fresh), cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed. Sauce is cooked when tomatoes have broken down and the bitterness is gone.

Transfer to a jug for easy pouring.



Compiling the Parmigiana

Add a little sauce & oil to the bottom of the casserole dish / pan. Add a single layer of eggplant. Top with some cheese, and cover with tomato sauce. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up.
Top with a little cheese, cover with breadcrumbs, & bake for 30-40 minutes (up to an hour for more than 3 layers).

Serve with a cold basil pasta salad.