Eggplant Parmesan

steps

Make the Sauce

1. In a large, wide-bottom pot such as a rondeau, heat olive oil over medium. Add basil leaves, garlic, anchovies, chile flakes, and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic just starts to change color, basil crisps, and anchovies melt; mixture should be very fragrant, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and continue to cook, mashing with a potato masher until size of pieces is uniform. Stir in fish sauce, reduce heat to low, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with additional salt or fish sauce as needed at least once during cooking and again after 1 hour. Makes approximately 1 gallon.

Bread and Fry the Eggplant

1. While sauce is simmering, slice eggplants just slightly thicker than ¼ inch (but not as thick as ½ inch). (Pro tip: Eggplant will shrink when cooked, so it needs to be thick enough to stand up to the breading.) Place eggplant slices on a baking tray and sprinkle each piece with a pinch of salt, then stack slices on top of each other. Allow eggplant to sit out for 15 to 20 minutes. (This removes bitterness and acts as a brine to enhance flavor).
2. Create a breading station: In a shallow dish or bowl, combine flour, 1 tablespoon oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt. In another dish, whisk together egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of water until combined. In a food processor or by hand, pulse or crush 2 cups breadcrumbs to a fine consistency. In a third dish large enough to hold all eggplant slices, combine crushed breadcrumbs, whole breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon oregano, and ¼ cup pecorino cheese.
3. Discard any liquid from eggplant. Using a mesh breading basket, dip eggplant into flour one piece at a time, shaking gently in flour to completely coat. Remove eggplant and shake off any excess flour. By hand or using tongs, dip eggplant into egg wash, being sure to allow excess egg to drain off. Dip eggplant into panko mixture, turning several times to coat thoroughly. Repeat with all eggplant pieces and allow to sit in panko for 5 minutes. Remove eggplant to a tray.
4. Add olive oil and canola oil in a 50:50 mix to a two-inch depth in a deep cast-iron skillet or dutch oven and heat to 375 degrees. (Pro tip: Using a mix of oils allows for frying at a higher temperature without bitterness.) Fry eggplant in batches until pieces are deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping halfway through to evenly fry both sides. Remove to a baking rack and sprinkle with salt and more finely grated pecorino.

Bake the Eggplant

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 10-ounce casserole dish, spread 4 ounces of tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Top with 4 to 5 pieces of fried eggplant, overlapping as needed but being sure to cover the sauce. Spread another 4 ounces of tomato sauce on top, lifting any overlapping parts of the eggplant as you go to make sure sauce gets in between pieces.
2. Top with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, covering entire surface of dish, and cover with thick-grated mozzarella. (Pro tip: This is the time for personal preference; Petrillo likes to cover the entire surface for “this indulgent, little bit of a pull thing going on.”)
3. Place fresh mozzarella slices on top, then drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, if cheese isn’t browning or bubbling, increase heat to broil, keeping a close eye to avoid burning.
4. Remove from oven and grate more parmesan cheese on top. Serve the eggplant parmesan garnished with fresh basil