Best, Fast, Easy- Eggplant Parmesan

History

Thoughts

Ingredients

  • 2 medium egg plants

  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs

  • 4 eggs

  • ¼ cup water

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 cup shredded parmesan

  • Light olive or other Neutral oil

  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Put towels in the bottom of 2 sheet pans and set in a baking rack. 

  2. Cut the ends off the eggplants.  Peel with a vegetable peeler.  Cut into ¼ -⅜ in rounds.  

  3. Salt both sides of the the egg plant and set on a baking rack to dry.   

  4. After 20-30 minutes flip.  

  5. Create a dredging station.*

    • Add flour to another plate or dish

    • Crack eggs into a flat bottomed dish and whisk with water

    • Add bread crumbs and cheese to a 3rd dish and gently blend

  6. *I like using casserole or flat storage dished for this.  

  7. Arrange in this order near a heavy bottomed pan like a cast iron skillet.  

  8. Heat 2 tbs of oil in pan over medium heat. 

  9. Heat oven to 350. (Check to make sure nothing is in it.)

  10. Pat eggplant rounds dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.  

  11. Add 2-3 rounds to the flour.  Cover completely and pat gently to coat. Let sit for a minute or 2.  This will help the flour stick to the eggplant. Shake remaining flour from the eggplant.  Clumps of flour will cause the breading to fall off.

  12. Move eggplant rounds to the egg and water mixture.  Dunk, coat and then drain extra egg.  You want it coated but you aren’t making scrambled eggs.  

  13. Move floured and egged eggplant to the panko bread crumbs and cheese.  Cover and gently pad to help breading stick to the round.   Shake away extra. 

  14. Move to hot pan.  You don’t want them touching (½ an inch to an is is enough space).  Allow to cook until golden brown.  You may need to move the rounds around the pan to get even cooking.  

  15. Flip each round and brown the other side.

  16. Remove towels from sheet pans and return racks.  

  17. Return the browned eggplant to the racks.

  18. Brown all eggplant rounds and arrange on the racks on the sheet pan.

  19. Crack black pepper over the top.  

  20. Taste a small piece. Add salt if necessary.  

  21. Put the rounds in the oven for 15 -20 minutes.  

  22. Serve with red sauce and pasta.  Serve as an appetizer.  Stack into a casserole with red sauce and cheese and bake it for 30 minutes.  I like all of those.