eggplant parmesan, basil

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 1 cup marinara
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
• fresh basil

The How To:

1. Cut the eggplant width-wise into 1/3” pieces. Lay out onto a clean dish towel. Salt one side liberally and let sit for about 2-3 hours. The salt will pull out the extra water that tends to make eggplant bitter. Wipe salt off with a clean dish towel, flip the eggplant pieces, and salt the other side; again let it sit for 2-3 hours. Wipe all remaining salt off but do not wet the eggplant because it’s like a sponge and will soak up allllll the water and turn bitter all over again and your early morning salting ritual will be for naught.
2. About 30 minutes prior to eating, prep your stations by mixing one egg in a large bowl, and by mixing breadcrumbs and ground pepper onto a plate.
3. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees.
4. Add your canola oil to large cast iron and heat to medium high.
5. Dredge each eggplant piece in the egg mixture and then the breadcrumbs. You’re looking for a light dredge, so only one round of dredging. Place dredged pieces in the cast iron and fry each side for about 1 1/2 minutes or just until brown.
6. Place all cooked eggplant on a paper towel to remove excess oil before moving the pieces to a broiler pan.
7. Bake for about 8 minutes or until crispy. Remove from oven and spoon a little sauce onto the tops of each slice. Top with a little motz and a little parm.
8. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another five minutes.
9. Serve warm and top with fresh basil.