Eggplant Parmesan Deconstructed Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Cut eggplant lengthwise in half. Scoop out eggplant flesh, leaving 1/2-inch-thick shells; coarsely chop flesh.
• Cook chopped eggplant and onions in nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5 min., stirring frequently. Add meat; cook until evenly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato and basil sauce; bring to boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. parsley.
• Place eggplant shells, cut sides up, on rimmed baking sheet; fill with meat mixture. Top with Alfredo sauce and cheese.
• Bake 30 to 35 min. or until eggplant mixture is heated through and cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Steps:

• To prepare the eggplant, sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and let stand, in a colander, about 20 minutes; drain, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat some of the oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat, and cook eggplant, undisturbed, until golden, about 4 minutes; flip and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes (you'll need to do this in a single layer and in batches).
• Drain eggplant on paper toweling; repeat until all the eggplant is cooked.
• Turn heat down to medium, add 3 tablespoons of oil and add 4 garlic cloves; cook until golden, about 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and oregano; cook, breaking up the tomatoes, until they start form a sauce, about 15 minutes.
• Add basil and 4 tablespoons Parmesan; simmer 5 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, heat a small skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, mince the remaining garlic and add to the skillet, along with the bread crumbs; toast, stirring, until bread crumbs just start to brown, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon Parmesan; season with a pinch of salt.
• To serve, arrange eggplant on a large platter and spoon dollops of ricotta over, then top with sauce; scatter bread crumb mixture over sauce, top with mozzarella and garnish with basil leaves, then drizzle with oil.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner and another baking sheet with a wire rack.
• For the eggplant: In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar and some salt. Evenly place the tomatoes on the lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast until slightly caramelized and dried out a bit, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside.
• Set the eggplant slices on the wire rack (if you don't have a rack you can use a colander set in the sink). Sprinkle salt on each side of the eggplant and let the salt do the work for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Once the salt has released moisture from the eggplant, pat the slices dry with paper towels. Then sprinkle each side of the eggplant with pepper.
• Set up a standard breading station with the flour in one shallow dish, the eggs in another and the panko mixed with the Parmesan in a third dish. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, shake off any excess, dip in the egg, let any excess drip off and then coat in the panko. Set aside on the wire rack and repeat.
• In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1-inch vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.
• Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes a side. Using a pair of tongs, transfer back to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Make sure to season the eggplant as it comes out of the oil.
• For the sandwich build: Butter and griddle both sides of the buns until golden and crispy (you can toast the buns as well). Tear the burrata over the bottom buns, then add 2 hot eggplant slices, some roasted tomatoes, a few pickled cherry peppers and some fresh basil leaves on each bun. Serve to applause.

Steps:

• Place the eggplant slices in a colander over a bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain and pat slices dry with a paper towel. Season with pepper.
• Working in batches, heat some of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (you will need about 1/2 cup total for frying, less with a nonstick pan). Add as much eggplant to the skillet as fits comfortably in a single layer. Cook, without moving, until undersides are dark golden, about 4 minutes; flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer eggplant to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining oil and eggplant.
• Let the skillet cool for a few minutes. Return it to medium heat and add 3 tablespoons oil. Smash and peel 4 garlic cloves and add them to the skillet; cook until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano. Cook, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spatula, until tomatoes start to form a sauce, 15 minutes. Add the basil sprigs and 4 tablespoons Parmesan; simmer 5 minutes longer.
• While the sauce simmers, in a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Mince 1 garlic clove and add to the skillet with the bread crumbs. Toast, stirring, until bread crumbs are just golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon Parmesan and a pinch of salt.
• Arrange eggplant on a large platter. Spoon dollops of ricotta over the eggplant and top with sauce. Scatter bread crumbs over sauce. Top with mozzarella and garnish with torn basil leaves. Drizzle with oil and serve.