Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplant (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
- Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1 tablespoon
- 5 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
- All-purpose flour for dredging
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- Olive oil, as needed
- 7 cups QUICK MARINARA SAUCE, recipe follows
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Directions
Arrange the eggplant slices on several baking sheets and sprinkle generously all over with kosher salt. Set aside to let the bitter juices weep from the eggplant, about 1 hour.
Transfer the eggplant to a colander in the sink, and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer eggplant to a work surface and blot very dry with paper towels.
In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.
Place the flour in a medium lipped plate or bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
In a large straight-sided skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees F on a deep frying thermometer. (The oil must be heated to 400 degrees F. so that the breaded eggplant, when added, will drop the temperature of the oil to the proper frying temperature of 375 degrees F.)
Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a 15 x 10- x 2-inch-baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
- QUICK MARINARA SAUCE
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 7 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree (about two 28-ounce can), roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs of fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste. Use immediately, store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Yield: about 3 1/2 cups
Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
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By foodywingo
on January 06, 2012
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My husband and I loved it! The eggplant turned out great, the step to allow the bitterness to weep out was key. Great recipe! We did use a basic pizza sauce that we found on food network through sara moulton, worked great!
By wondrwoman25
Cincinnati, OH
on December 18, 2011
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Before trying this recipe, I had never had eggplant. I have to say that it is fantastic! I recently moved to Africa where produce is very, very cheap but meats are very, very expensive. I suddenly needed a new arsenal of recipes that were vegetarian. This recipe (including the marinara sauce are just great. In fact, I now use this marinara recipe in multiple ways: spaghetti, pizza, pasta bake, etc!
By timallen20_12078880
tampa, 48
on October 02, 2011
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Have probably made this now once a month for last year. Better than any other recipes or any ordered at restaurants. The key of course is frying the eggplant vs. many recipes call for baking it. Couple thoughts: agree peel eggplant, don't agonize over fry temp just use a test slice and cook it until it looks crispy and golden. Use your own sauce recipe or jar if needed and do not worry about how many cups you get, it doesnt need to be precise. Spread that sauce in thirds and it will be fine. Yes this is more time consuming due to frying, but totally worth it when you see how people respond to that first taste.
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