Grandma Pauline’s Eggplant Parmigiana

I loved eating my Grandmother’s eggplant parmigiana cold right out of the fridge. And it always seemed like she had some when I was at her house. When I cook eggplant, I rarely peel the skin.  But Grandma Pauline always did.  13th Century Italian folklore links eating eggplant with insanity, and my mother once told me that we peel the eggplant to prevent the madness.  I don’t think Grandma Pauline believed it was harmful, but it was certainly “tough” and didn’t lend itself to cutting with a fork. So for the most tender cutlet we peel the skin. I also don’t use aged cheeses for mast cell over reactions, so there’s actually no parmigiana in this dish at all. But I’m pretty sure Grandma would forgive me. I was her only grandchild from her only child, and she was always gracious and kind if not indulging me always at her home. So when my youngest daughter suggested we have eggplant this week … I smiled and said of course. Because THAT is what I learned from my Grandmother.

Print Recipe

Grandma Pauline’s Eggplant Parmigiana

Prep Time 60 min Cook Time 45 min Total Time 1 hr 45 mins

Servings: 12

Ingredients

Servings

• 4 Eggplant
• 2 cups Breadcrumbs (We used a combination of whole grain bread, ritz cracker and saltines (cause this is the REDNECK version of Grandma's classic dish ;))
• 5 Large Eggs
• 1 pound Whole Milk Mozzarella
• 32 ounces Tomato Sauce (We made fresh tonight, but truth be told Grandma used Ragu!)

Instructions

1. Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch medallions. Grandma use to cut the eggplant thinner, much thinner actually. And she'd make her eggplant several layers tall, much like her lasagna. I think a good rule of thumb is to cut your egg plant THIN if you have family who doesn't like eggplant, because then you can barely taste the fruit. But if you cut it a bit thicker, you will use less breading and less oil to fry the dish.
   
2. Place a layer of paper towels or clean kitchen cloth on a hard surface or baking tray and place your sliced eggplant in a single layer. Salt the tops to help draw more moisture out and then top with another layer of paper towels. We made two layers, separated by cutting boards and then topped them with two extra large heavy cast iron pans. Let drain for 30 minutes to one hour.
   
3. We used a food processor to make the crumb. One sleeve of Ritz Crackers, one sleeve of saltines and about 7 slices of whole grain bread. We mixed that all together and prepared a second bowl with our eggs.
   
4. Dip your eggplant in the egg then coat with the crumbs.
   
5. Fry over medium heat about three minutes per side (if you have thick slices.)
   
6. Assemble as you would a lasagna. Sauce on the bottom of your pan. A single layer of fried eggplant. Top with a spoonful of sauce on each medallion. Top with grated cheese (and parmesan if you are using that). And repeat.
   
7. Bake in a 400° oven for 30 minutes or until heated through and just beginning to brown on top.