Here's several methods I use.
Enjoy.
Sue

Eggplant Parmesan - Lite
2 servings)
2 Eggplant
6 oz Mozzarella, sliced thin
2 Cups prepared sauce
Grated cheese

Preheat oven to 425.
Slice eggplant length wise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices
Place slices in one layer on rack over a baking sheet (cookie sheet with sides).
Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes (this extracts bitter flavor)
Rinse and dry, then place in one layer on a cookie sheet.
Spray a cookie sheet with oil

Spray lightly and roast in lower have of oven for 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender but not overcooked.
Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Once cool enough to handle, carefully remove eggplant slices from cookie sheet and reserve on separate dish.
For each serving, place one slice of eggplant on cookie sheet and spread with a tablespoon of sauce.
Top with a small amount of mozzarella and continue layering finishing with mozzarella on top.
Top with a little sauce then sprinkle with some grated cheese.
Return to oven and cook until cheese is melted.

Serve with Italian bread and a side of pasta.
====================

Eggplant Parmesan with Panko
Servings: 2
1 1/2 Cup Panko , Can substitute seasoned breadcrumbs
1 oz Grated Parmesan cheese
2 t. Dried basil (eliminate if using seasoned breadcrumbs)
3 Egg whites
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t. Salt
2 Medium eggplants - peeled & sliced into 1/4 " rounds
Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/2 C Tomato sauce
4 oz. Shredded, part-skim mozzarella
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray 2 cookie sheets with olive oil.
In shallow bowl, combine panko, parmesan cheese, and basil.
In another shallow bowl, combine egg white, lemon juice, and salt
Working one at a time, dip eggplant slices into egg white, then panko.
Place slices on baking sheet, spray tops with oil.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, turn them over, spray again with olive oil.
Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes more.
To assemble casserole, layer 1/2 eggplant in 9 x 13" baking dish.
Spoon 1/2 the sauce, then 1/2 the grated mozzarella.
Layer remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella.
Cool at 400 degrees uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
(Can assemble, them freeze or refrigerate for another day).

Forgot to add that for a variation, you can alternate sauteed, thin-sliced boneless chicken breasts, slices of sauteed Portobella mushrooms, and roasted zucchini slices with the eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella.

Enjoy,
Sue

Well....my method isn't terribly simple...but not too hard either.
First I make ( or thaw) about 1 1/2 qt of marinara sauce....with lots of garlic!
Then peel and slice a large eggplant, salt and allow to drain for 30 minutes, rinse and pat dry.
Put a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a pyrex dish...
Fry the slices of eggplant in olive oil and layer in the dish, cover with more sauce a very generous layer of fresh grated parmesan and bake until bubbley and browned.
I usually don't use mozzerella in eggplant parmesan.
Linda C

Kframe,
I was just thinking about this over the holidays as I was in a discussion with the owner of our local Italian deli. They make a really good version, all you have to do is the final bake in the oven stage.

Their method is to deep fry the breaded eggplant slices, then pat dry to remove oil, then refrigerate over night before assembling with the sauce and cheese. According to them, the breading then doesn't fall apart when assembled and cooked.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we had the dish in Rome this summer as an appetizer. It was sublime! Much lighter and melt in your mouth than what I've typically considered as Eggplant Parmigiana. Their method was to use a much smaller and thinner (maybe 2" x 2" by 1/4") piece of eggplant (maybe a baby eggplant?), also breaded and deep fried, then placed on a bed of marinara sauce (not covered), topped with mozzarella di bufala and parmigiano-reggiano and broiled. It was served in a small shallow ceramic dish.

Yes, I also use the peel/salt/purge method to remove the bitterness except when I have fresh japanese eggplant growing in the garden. With those, I don't even peel the eggplant.

Use absolutely the freshest eggplant you can find. (Asian market maybe?)

You can use cookingrvc's first recipe with breaded slices too. It's great that way too!

Good grief!

That was a chore! I've not been able to get logged in for a couple of days.

Anyway, thanks for the information on the eggplant parm. I've decided to go in a different direction for dinner, although I'm going to make this soon.

I only like it breaded and fried.

Then you likely don't have a good recipe for eggplant parmegian?
In some cook book I read a recipe for an egg plant dish that loosley translated from the Italian or Greek meant The Pope Fainted....frying egg plant can absorb an amazing amount of olive oil, and the story was that the Pope was shocked at the amount of oil in the recipe.
I don't bread egg plant before I fry it for eggplant parm....I figure the eggplant alone absorbs enough oil for several meals!
Linda C

Hey Michael

You could cheat and use Trade Joe's frozen eggplant cutlets. I use them for 'faux' muffalettas.

I thought of you yesterday, we had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant!

It's sort of like fried chicken, yes it can be made skinless and oven fried but it's not the same.
If someone's worried about the oil they should eat something else, jmo.

Linda, you have confused the story and combined it with an unrelated one.

Imam Bayaldi is an eggplant dish all eggplant lovers should try. The name translates to "the Imam fainted". It wasn't the Pope. The story, at least one version of it was that the dish was so good that, when it was served to him, the Imam swooned over it. If you love eggplant, you will understand that when you eat this. It is VERY GOOD.

There is an expression in the Middle East which is used to emphasize how rich a person is. It also emphasizes how very much oil eggplant is capable of absorbing! You say, "He's so rich he doesn't care how much olive oil his wile uses on the eggplant". I'm not rich so, instead of frying eggplant in oil I brush the eggplant slices with oil and bake the slices on a cookie sheet. But that is for Eggplant Parm. For Imam Bayaldi the eggplant is not sliced.

IMAM BAYALDI

Well I was close....but wrong religion! LOL! An Imam is supposed to be infallible and a divine descendant of Muhammad isn't he?

Getting back to eggplant parmesan, I have this to offer:

Eggplant parmesan is made in several styles. There are two which I most often encounter.

One style is where slices of eggplant are breaded and fried in olive oil. Cheese is melted on the slices which are then placed on spaghetti (or other pasta) and sauced with marinara.

The other style is slices of fried eggplant, cheese and sauce layered ala lasagna to about two inches thick and baked. A rectangular portion is cut out and served with a side of pasta. I like this version best although I seldom pass up an opportunity to eat Eggplant Parmesan in any form.

Eggplant is a soft vegetable. It can be firmed up by salting it about 30 minutes or so before cooking, which will cause it to lose water. Pressing it under some weight during this process makes it even firmer. Blot off the salty water before cooking. This is sometimes advised as a method for removing bitterness. I've never noticed bitterness in eggplant but I do like the firming effect.

Jim

P.S. Make Imam Bayaldi. It's GOOD!

This thread gave me a craving for Eggplant Parmesan. On my way to work on Sunday I stopped at the grocery store and picked up an eggplant. I had all the other ingredients on hand.

Not a terribly difficult dish to make. But it did take a little time. I started dinner almost immediately after getting home from work and dinner was ready about 6:45 PM. While the eggplant was "sweating" I made the sauce and left it to simmer and reduce.

The slices were dipped into the batter and fried in batches. Drained on paper towels. Then a little sauce went into the bottom of a very shallow ovenproof dish, topped with the eggplant slices and covered with the rest of the sauce, topped with shredded mozzarella and a sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan.Into a 350°F oven for 30 minutes until lightly brown and bubbling hot.

Didn't photograph well but sure tasted good. Moe had two helpings.

Dang. Now I want eggplant parmigian again!

I was looking for an eggplant parm recipe and found this one. My question is, Do you use a plain sauce or one with meat in it? My home made sauce is made with hamburger and I have used it with both eggplant or chicken parm.
TIA

I prefer the eggplant to be fried first. Here's my recipe:

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants (select ones that are long and somewhat narrow)
Kosher salt
Flour, for coating
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1-1/2 cups Panko or dry breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp cayenne
Canola or grape seed oil, for deep frying
1 pound Mozzarella
1/4 pound sharp Provolone
1/4 pound Parmesan cheese

Sauce:
2 cups (16 oz.) prepared tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into 3/8" to 1/2" rounds and place in a large bowl with a large amount of salt, enough to coat all cut sides. You can toss the slices in the bowl if it has a cover to get the salt more evenly distributed. Then place the slices in a colander or other large pan (such as a steaming basket) with the slices vertical, and allow it to drain for at least an hour. I usually give it at least two hours for this. When sufficient water has drained from the slices, remove them from the colander and wipe off the excess salt with a brush or towel, and dry the pieces with a clean towel if they are very damp. Note: Do not leave overnight!

While the eggplant is draining, add the basil, olive oil, and garlic to the tomato sauce for extra flavor. It is not necessary to cook the sauce at this point. Prepare the mozzarella by cutting it into fairly thin slices, and grate the Provolone and Parmesan.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 375 degrees and have a platter ready with paper towels for draining. Place about a cup of flour in a bowl for dipping, and mix the breadcrumbs with the cayenne in another bowl. Blend the eggs with the 2 tbsp water in a third bowl, and place the bowls in a row for coating. Prepare each slice by first lightly coating it with flour (shake off excess flour), dipping in egg, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Deep-fry each slice in the oil until lightly golden on both sides and then drain on paper towels.

When all the slices have been fried, get an 8"x13" (or equivalent) glass or ceramic baking dish and brush olive oil on the bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Spread a very thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, and then place a layer of eggplant over that. Put a small amount of tomato sauce over each slice and then a slice of mozzarella over each piece, and sprinkle a bit of Provolone and Parmesan over that layer. Repeat this process until the baking dish is full, but do not overfill. The final layer will be tomato sauce with no cheese. I prefer to have all the cheese between the layers of eggplant, but you can put some on top as well.

Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Lars

I make it much like Ann does, but I don't bread the eggplant before frying. I have made it both with meat sauce and a plain marinara.
Linda C

Thanks Lars for the recipe, that's pretty much the same way I make mine.
Thanks Linda, Ann's looks like it's made with a plain marinara. I guess I could try it that way.

Frying eggplant slices in preparation for making eggplant parmigiana is a tedious process which uses a lot of oil. I now use a different process. I brush the slices with oil an bake them on a cookie sheet. They are cooked in one fell swoop and I can control the amount of oil used.

Jim

My friend Nate loves eggplant parm (who doesn't?). He is smart enough to tell everyone who will listen "Gellchom makes THE BEST eggplant parmigiana in the WORLD! It's so good! Better than the best restaurant in town! Get her to make it for you!" So of course I make it for him often. In fact, now that I think about it, I always invite him when I make it. Smart guy, eh? He should have been a behavioral psychologist.

I use the recipe from Moosewood Cookbook (including the sauce recipe) -- let me know if you would like me to post it -- with some extra garlic. I bake the breaded eggplant slices first instead of frying them. It's at least as good that way.

Last time I made it, we all agreed that it was the best ever. I used very good canned tomatoes in the sauce and smallish eggplants. It did make a difference -- I was so sorry when the leftovers ran out (Nate took some home, too). Mmmmm.

So now I immodestly agree with Nate. Although, ann_t, your very very cheeeezy batch looks amazing!

This recipe from Epicurious was outstanding. It's for a grilled eggplant parmigiana sub (really good bread makes a huge difference - I had fresh ciabatti rolls from a local bakery - when I bought bread from Trader Joe's it was good, but not as special). What I loved was that the eggplant was grilled - after brushing with olive oil - so it really cuts down on the oil, but didn't sacrifice in taste.

It took some time and a number of steps (esp. to make the sauce by reducing actual tomatoes) - and seemed to my family to be a ridiculous amount of work for a sub - until they ate it. And even my daughter who doesn't like anything I make said, "that's pretty darned..delicious.)

Here's the recipe:

Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana Heros Gourmet : September 2009

by Ian Knauer

This bravura sandwich stimulates all the senses. Grilling eggplant instead of frying it adds lightness and smoky complexity.
Yield: Makes 4 sandwiches
Active Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 3/4 hr
ingredients
For tomato sauce:
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

For eggplant heros:
4 (6-inch) hero or hoagie rolls, split
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 (1-pound) eggplants
1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone or fresh mozzarella, divided
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
preparation
Make tomato sauce:

Pur�e tomatoes in a blender until very smooth. Heat oil in a 3-to 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Saut� onion and garlic with red pepper flakes until golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomato pur�e, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Make sandwiches:

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .

Brush cut side of rolls with 1 tablespoon oil total.

Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of slices with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Oil grill rack, then grill eggplant (covered only if using a gas grill), loosening with a metal spatula and turning occasionally to avoid overbrowning, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Top eggplant (still on grill) evenly with half of sliced cheese, then grill, covered, until cheese begins to melt, about 30 seconds. Transfer eggplant with spatula to a large tray.

Grill rolls (cut side only) until grill marks appear, about 1 minute, and transfer to tray.

Transfer grilled rolls to 4 plates and spoon about 3 tablespoons tomato sauce onto each bottom piece. Top with eggplant, making 2 layers. Add remaining sauce, then top with basil and remaining cheese and close sandwiches.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Grilled-Eggplant-Parmigiana-Heros-354972#ixzz1N32z9lgQ

Lynn.

Gellcom, I'd love to have your recipe. With summer and the garden coming on, I'm going to try several of these recipes.
Thanks