Tasting Journal

Eggplant Parmesan with Prosciutto

My mother and I both love eggplant. I've had eggplant parmesan many times at restaurants, but have never actually tried to make it myself. This recipe is from my mother's Italian friend Maria. She loves meat, so her recipe includes some prosciutto. The results were okay. . . The eggplant was a little too firm, and I felt that it didn't have enough flavor, so we asked Maria for some advice, and here are a couple of the suggestions she gave us for cooking eggplant. . .


First of all, it's helpful to salt the eggplant so that it is relieved from all it's moisture which tends to hold on to oil. In order to do this, you peel the eggplant, slice it, and then sprinkle the slices generously with salt. Then you let the slices sit in a colander for a few hours. After that, you rinse the salt off thoroughly and squeeze out any excess moisture.

Another popular method is to soak the eggplant instead of salting it. To do this, slice the eggplant and place the slices in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of salt for 1 quart of water. If the eggplant slices float to the surface, place a small plate on top to hold it down. After about 30 mintues, remove the eggplant slices from the water, rinse and then pat dry. Brown each slice in hot oil until crisp and delicate. This should only take a couple minutes.

Second, if frying the eggplant, be sure that the oil is very hot, and cook only one layer of slices at a time. Crowding the pan will make it more difficult for the eggplant to cook properly. Also be sure to turn the slices often so that they wont burn.


Okay, now that you've been informed on my new knowledge of eggplant cooking 101, here's the recipe. . . give it a try and let me know how it goes. Also, if anyone has any other advice or tips, please feel free to share so that the rest of us can eat well too! : )


Maria's Eggplant Parmesan with Prosciutto

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium eggplant
¼ cup of vegetable oil
¼ cup of chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ cup milk
Flour
Vegetable oil for frying
8 ounces fresh sliced mozzarella cheese
4 ounces fresh sliced prosciutto
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet.
2. Add onions and garlic into the skillet and sauté over low heat. Stir occasionally until onion become tender.
3. Stir in parsley, salt, fresh ground pepper, and tomato sauce. Let simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, peel and slice the eggplant. Make each slice about ¼ inch thick.
5. In a bowl, beat the egg slightly. Add in milk and 1 tablespoon oil.
6. Dust each slice of eggplant with flour, patting well to remove any excess flour.
7. Dip the floured eggplant slice into the egg and milk mixture, and then drain.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
9. Fry eggplant on both sides, adding more oil as needed. Fry until slices are golden brown.
10. In a 2-quart baking dish, layer the fried eggplant, tomato sauce, prosciutto, and mozzarella, topping each layer off with parmesan cheese.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes at about 350°.

Serves 6


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