Aubergine parmigiana is typically a home-style al forno dish, rustically thrown together and baked, much like a lasagne.
This is a sponsored post with Stonetown cheese. All ideas and opinions are my own.
This is a scheduled post and I have scheduled 30 more recipes. Will take a break from blogging for a few days due to personal reasons. My sister will take care of the blog and social media meanwhile.
CHEESE:
I have been supporting local Canada business in my blog for and social media. I am surprised at how many great small local businesses are out there.
This recipe uses its high-quality cheese created from one of the local Business Company called Stonetown cheese. The cheese is from their dairy farm in Ontario. Their handcrafted alpine-style cheese is made from fresh cows milk and low in sodium.
You can use any kind of cheese but I recommend asiago kind cheese or gruyere style cheese or brie style cheese.
I used their Gruyere style cheese (Aged for 12-18 months), 2018 Winner, at the British Empire Cheese Competition.
I am craving for cheese fondue already. Had it once with my love of life and loved the whole experience.
Pairs well with:
Pasta & a glass of Red wine!
TIPS for AUBERGINE:
When you are baking/broiling, stay in the kitchen and have a look.
Do not skip the step to remove the wetness from the eggplant.
Use fresh basil.
You can make your own tomato basil sauce but I liked even this.
- • 1 large aubergine (Eggplant), (400g)
- • 50 g plain all-purpose flour
- • 50 g cornflour mixed in ½ cup of water
- • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- • 150 g cheese
- • 1-cup extra virgin olive oil
- • Salt
- • Red chilli flakes
- • 10 tbsp Store-bought tomato basil sauce
- • 18 Basil leaves
- STEPS:
- Slice the aubergine into ½cm-thick rounds - use a circular cutter if you want to be precise (roughly 7cm in diameter) to trim the slices into perfect discs.
- Place them in a pan lined with parchment paper, place a tissue or cloth on top. Keep a pan on top and keep some weight to remove the wetness from the eggplant.
- After an hour, remove the weight and the tissue.
- Season the all-purpose flour with salt, pepper and oregano.
- FRY:
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Take each of the eggplant slices; working in batches, add it to the all-purpose flour mix and then to watery corn flour dip.
- Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp, then remove to kitchen paper to drain and repeat with the remaining discs.
- ASSEMBLE:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
- Take an ovenproof dish, place a stack of
- a spoonful of tomato basil sauce,
- eggplant, a spoonful of tomato basil sauce, grated cheese, chilli flakes, basil
- eggplant, a spoonful of tomato basil sauce, grated cheese, chilli flakes, basil
- eggplant, a spoonful of tomato basil sauce, grated cheese, chilli flakes
- Arrange the others too.
- Bake for 7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is golden and bubbling. Then broil for 3 minutes.
- Serve the Parmigiana with basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
