Parmigiana di melanzane

Ingredients

• Black globe eggplants1500 g
• Tomato purée (Passata)700 ml
• Fior di latte mozzarella300 g
• Parmigiano Reggiano PDO100 g
• Peanut oil500 ml
• Yellow onion50 g
• Extra virgin olive oil30 ml
• Fresh basil15 g
• Fine salt15 g

Allergens

Peanuts, Milk

Method

1. Wash the eggplants and slice them into 5-8 mm thick rounds. Layer them in a colander, sprinkling with 10g of salt to purge their bitter water for 40 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, sauté the finely chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil. Add the tomato purée and 5g of salt, simmering for about 20 minutes. Stir in half of the basil at the end.
3. Dice the mozzarella into small cubes and let it drain in a sieve for at least 30 minutes to prevent excess moisture during baking.
4. Rinse the eggplant slices under running water to remove excess salt and pat them perfectly dry with paper towels; any residual moisture will ruin the frying process.
5. Heat the peanut oil to 175°C (347°F). Fry the eggplant slices in small batches until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
6. Spread a ladle of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Create the first layer of eggplants by placing them slightly overlapping.
7. Top the layer with tomato sauce, a handful of Parmigiano Reggiano, mozzarella cubes, and hand-torn basil leaves.
8. Repeat for the subsequent layers (usually 3 or 4) until all ingredients are used, finishing the top layer with plenty of sauce and Parmigiano.
9. Bake in a preheated static oven at 180°C (356°F) for 35 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and the sauce bubbles at the edges.
10. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before serving; this step is essential for the flavors to meld and the structure to set.