Parma eggplant casserole

Description

Melanzane Parmigiana. A delicate but very rich sweet and sour dish, classic Italian cuisine. Slices of eggplant cake tomato sauce and cheese and baked. Contrary to the name of Parma (Northern Italy) in the one casserole Parmesan, the rest of the South. There are related types Parmigiana with meat or chicken (the site has a recipe with chicken and béchamel sauce), but baklazhana Parmesan (melanzane is eggplant) - the most ancient. Prepares simple (although not very fast) and from the available ingredients. Recipes there is a great variety, although the differences between them were not significant. I had based the recipe sisters Ciappa (the Italian vallies), complemented by nuances of several other recipes. If you are confused by the long cooking time, it is not forbidden to roast eggplant and/or make the sauce the night before or even a couple of days. Fans of the eggplant is dedicated.

Ingredients

Eggplant

500-600 г
Mozzarella

200 г
Parmesan

50 г
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Red onion

1 шт
Garlic

1 зуб.
Tomatoes in own juice

400-500 г
Dry white wine

50 г
Greens
Peppers red hot chilli
Ketchup

1-2 ст. л.
Sugar

1-2 ч. л.

Cooking

Photos of ingredients. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into thin slices. Mine were old and spotted, so I cut the peel but in General they are usually not clean. Eggplant "al naturel" better keep their shape, and look more profitable than trimmed. If you prevent the bitterness in the eggplant, give them to let the juice. For this purpose the eggplant slices put layers, peppered with salt and shifting layers of wipes, and leave on for 20-30 minutes. And you can just pour salt water, but then they need to be dried before frying. Basically, really bitter varieties of eggplant in our time is not so easy to find

While the eggplant give juice, make the sauce. To do this, slice the onion, garlic and chilli (if fresh). Chop the greens, not very finely. If you have whole tomatoes, it is not necessary to cut them, see the tip below.

On a medium-hot pan spasseruyte onion until transparent (I'm a little lost), Add the garlic and chilli and fry for a further 1-2 minutes, until you feel strong smell of garlic. Don't miss the garlic must not be allowed to burn.

Add the tomatoes and wine (if using), black pepper and sugar/ketchup. While not salt. Allow the mixture to boil, then reduce heat and simmer under the lid is slightly shifted by about half an hour, until thick. If the tomatoes you were whole, suppress them, like potatoes for mashed potatoes. Also, if you want, ready the sauce can be ground in a blender until smooth. I like pieces. In the prepared sauce, add the greens. Try, optional-lightly season with salt. Just don't forget that cheese would bring to the dish is quite a lot of salt.

Fry the eggplant chunks on both sides. They should become soft and translucent, but not worth much to fry, enough to light brown colour. To eggplant has a distinctively delicate, "velvety" texture, they should soak up the oil, so oil will need quite a lot. The dish is not diet. But if you really want to limit the amount of oil, try not to pour it into the pan, and fluff brush the slices on both sides. Another way is to fry from one third to one half of the eggplant, and the rest pour boiling water and soak for five minutes.

Fried slices need to be carefully promacot cloth. Napkins will take a lot! While frying the eggplant, grate cheese. If you have mozzarella balls, its easier to break up into thin long strips.

Preheat the oven to 180-190C. In a baking dish put thin layer of sauce (just 2-3 tbsp) on top of sauce, layer of eggplant. (Separately on the form: you will need a heavy heat-resistant vessel with thick walls, it is better cast iron or ceramic, of a width not exceeding 20 cm I Have a normal cast iron skillet.)

Sprinkle with cheese. Then another layer of sauce, layer of eggplant, layer of cheese. It is worth to mention that in some recipes suggest to use both kinds of cheese at once (i.e. a greater amount of mozzarella to sprinkle a smaller amount of Parmesan), and other sandwich only mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on just the top layer, in the third alternate cheeses. But in most variants the top of the dish sprinkle just a little Parmesan cheese, no mozzarella. You may find that the sauce is too little, but each layer should only multiplayer. tablespoons, because the finished casserole should keep the structure not to spread.

Casserole ready to be sent to the oven.

Bake for about 40 minutes. Readiness courses can be checked by sticking it with a fork or knife. If included easily, like butter, it's ready.

Feeding Parmigiano better not piping hot, and slightly cool. Ideally, when cut it should retain its shape, not spread, should be clearly visible layers. Every piece will last a thread of melted mozzarella. Sorry, my dumb camera is plainly to convey but could not. A very tasty bread to SOP the remains of the sauce. Bon appetit!

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