A Juicy Parmigiana
The essentials:
1 big aubergine
Cherry tomatoes
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 Mozzarelle di Bufala (room temperature)
Freshly grated Parmesan
2 eggs
2 spoons of flour
2 garlic cloves
1 shallot
Fresh basil
Salt & pepper to taste
Steps:
Chop the shallot, slice 7-8 cherry tomatoes and crush the garlic with the side of the knife.
In a hot pan with some extra virgin olive oil add the garlic first, then turn fire to low-medium and add the shallot. Once it’s cooked through but not burnt, add the cherry tomatoes. Stir gently for 30 seconds, then add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook slowly with the lid on. Add a little water every once in a while if you see it reduce too much.
While the sauce cooks, peel and slice the aubergine into disks. Cover each slice with flour and egg, then fry on medium/low heat so as not to burn them but only cook them through until they become golden. Drain on kitchen paper, add a little salt on top.
Slice the mozzarella and grate Parmesan.
Turn on over at 220* grill.
Check the sauce and taste it. Add salt and pepper to taste. To remove the acidity, use a little bit of sugar - half a teaspoon is enough. You can also add chilly if you like a little kick. Once resting on the side, add fresh basil leaves.
Start layering the dish: a little tomato sauce first, a layer of aubergines, mozzarella, Parmesan, sauce - repeat! Close with Parmesan and mozzarella at the top for a cheese crust.
Cover with foil and cook for 15’. Remove foil and cook for another 10’ or until the top looks crispy and bubbly everywhere. If you dish is much bigger than what I used, you’ll need a little more time. The bubbles with tell you when!
You will want to eat it straight away, but you have to be patient with this one. It’s going to be extremely hot, let it rest for 15 minutes or more if you can. Even leftover this is delicious as it absorbs all the juices overnight, which intensifies the flavour even more!
Buon appetito!