by "E90M3" (e90m3)
Published 10/11/2017 at 21:32
by "E90M3" (e90m3)
Published 10/11/2017 at 21:32
Tags: Cooking with E90M3
STARS: 10
Back in May I made some eggplant parmesan from scratch. I was going to post about it here on oppo the day I made it, but I had a few too many adult beverages while I made it to write it up that day. Looking back through my photos, I came across the pictures I took, I figured I might as well post it now.
First step is to gather the supplies and decide what you’re drinking. In my case, I went for one of my favorite cooking drinks, mimosas made with Lamarca Prosecco.
The ingredient for the sauce, my family calls it gravy so if you see it used that’s why, and meat:
As for the rest, you need two eggplants, mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, and some eggs.
Now the first step is to get the meat cooking.
While the meat cooks, I like to get my gravy started.
You want to cook the gravy for at least 30 minutes before the meat is added to it. I’m not sure if there is a reason or it’s just the way we’ve always made it. This is my grandmother’s recipe, so it has been refined over time.
The meatballs and sausage are somewhat cooked, and the gravy is nice and hot, it’s time to combine the two.
I like to let it all cook for a least 3.5 hours. Half an hour with no meat, and the final three with all the meat.
Since that’s a lot of time might as well go ahead and get some dishes out of the way.
Now, time to prepare my aubergines.
The recipe I use for my eggplant parmesan is loosely based on the recipe from this book.
The first step is obvious, cut those mofos up.
Once they’re all cut, lay them on wax paper and sprinkle them with salt and let sit for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes you should see a dark liquid on top of the sliced eggplants. This is good, that liquid is bitter and, consequently, makes the eggplants less bitter.
Now it’s time to wash and dry the eggplant to get off that bitter liquid.
Oh shit, I’m out of Prosecco!
Now it’s time to bread them all. I dip them in egg and then bread crumbs, I know the recipe says flour but in my mind this is the way eggplant parmesan is supposed to be.
Once breaded it’s time to cook. I fry them in olive oil for three minutes on each side. I try to make them the same thickness so they all fry the same. I find the three minutes per side, as the book, recommended is just about perfect.
As you can see I switched to beer after I ran out of Prosecco.
Once all the eggplant is cooked, and your sauce has spent the requisite 3.5 hours on the stove, it’s time to assemble the eggplant parmesan.
I start with a layer of eggplant on the bottom, then a layer of sauce, then a layer of mozzarella cheese until the dish is full.
Cover it in foil and pop it in the oven at 375°F for 45 minutes to an hour.
While it cooks, you might as well get some things out of the way.
Like wrapping up the leftover meat, you didn’t spend half the day cooking for only one meal.
Doing the dishes, again.
After that 45 minutes to an hour has elapsed, it’s time to take it out of the oven.
Pour yourself some wine.
Then dig in.
"BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo" (bluemazda2)
10/11/2017 at 21:40, STARS: 1
Second ParmGate averted.
That looks delicious, by the way. Gib pls.
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
10/11/2017 at 21:40, STARS: 0
Looks amazing, but I have a question. I’m assuming you’re from the NJ/NY area, or of Italian descent? I ask because of the calling the sauce gravy haha. I gotta know now! Is it a regional thing or is it that is midwesterners have it wrong?
Job well done!
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
10/11/2017 at 21:42, STARS: 1
I wish I could give this more than one star. Also, I have that same Henckels knife set.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/11/2017 at 21:44, STARS: 1
Of Italian decent, and while I’m from GA, my mom is from New York. I’m not sure if it’s a regional thing. I know my sister mentioned to me the other day she had met someone else that called it gravy, they were from NY.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/11/2017 at 21:45, STARS: 1
Don’t need to become infamous on Oppo!
I can assure that it was indeed very tasty.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/11/2017 at 21:48, STARS: 0
It was very delicious.
They’re the same knives that my parents have used for 30+ years, and if they’ve lasted that long figured I should get a set.
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
10/11/2017 at 21:49, STARS: 1
I ask because I’m not real familiar with the NJ NY culture. I drive truck and have been dating a girl from NJ of Italian descent, she calls it gravy too. We laugh about it every time lol. I had to ask!
"boredalways" (boredalway666)
10/11/2017 at 21:51, STARS: 1
Now I really want some grilled eggplant, marinated with italian dressing.
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
10/11/2017 at 21:53, STARS: 0
Did chicken parm a couple weeks back - used my tomato sauce w/ a mirepoix base. Tomato paste browned, and a splash of chianti.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/11/2017 at 21:53, STARS: 0
Ah, maybe it is a culture/location thing then.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/11/2017 at 21:55, STARS: 0
Damn, that looks really good.
For my chicken parmesan, I usually bread my chicken, cook it, then put gravy on the top and cover it in mozzarella and then broil it. Yours is a different take, but still looks really good!
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
10/11/2017 at 22:01, STARS: 0
Not enough pizza.
"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
10/11/2017 at 22:01, STARS: 1
Yeah I know tons of people with them. It’s almost like the symbol of middle class suburban America kitchen.
"Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru" (matt-powershiftmedia)
10/11/2017 at 22:07, STARS: 1
I was thinking that was potentially the case
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
10/11/2017 at 22:15, STARS: 1
That’s what I did - half progresso and half japanese breadcrumbs, fried, then, nestled in the sauce and covered w/ romano and mozzarella. And no gravy on top - makes them soggy. Bake 350 for 40 mins, finish in the broiler for a minute or less to get it crisp. Serve over linguini.
"StudyStudyStudy" (jesterjin)
10/11/2017 at 22:32, STARS: 1
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/11/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 1
Looks wonderful! Some thoughts:
1. I love your counter top, double sink, and general kitchen setup. I especially approve of your cookware. Also, I am a fan of wooden spoons. I pity you the electric coils on your range because of cleaning. However, I have a ceramic cooktop, which makes it hard to control the heat. I therefore also deserve pity.
2. You can also put the meatballs and sausage on a baking sheet. They will brown nicely at 350F and cook fully before you plop them in the sauce at the end. I use non-stick foil to line the sheet. That way, I can throw it away and not have to wash the baking sheet. Another bonus to baking the balls until fully cooked is that I can make extra and freeze in bags for meals later.
3. I get what you mean about using flour. The reason for egg+flour first is that the two form a glue. Then, you wet it in egg again before putting in bread crumbs, and they stick better. That said, I wanted to see if I could go healthier one night; so, I tried not coating with anything (I know, heresy!), and it turned out alright.
4. My sauce grew out of my mom’s, which grew out of her mom’s, which came with her own mother from Italy. What amazed me is how they diverged over time. I didn’t realize until I went home for the holidays. Funny how that happens.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/11/2017 at 22:52, STARS: 1
1. The cookware I have is basically all the same stuff my parents have, and despite being small, I really like my kitchen.
2. I hadn’t thought about that. I might have to try that. Plus I do like the idea of freezing extra meat for later. I usually freeze some of my leftovers, but freezing partially cooked meat could be a game changer.
3. Hmm, I don’t know how I didn’t realize that, I should probably try that at some point, maybe next time I bread some chicken.
4. My sauce tastes slightly differnt than my moms, it really is inserting to see how small changes make a big difference and how two people go about the same thing two different ways.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/11/2017 at 22:56, STARS: 1
I’m kinda jealous of my parents because they make their sauce out of Roma tomatoes grown in the garden, whereas I have to use canned. On the other hand, I don’t have to do anything more than open a can. So there’s that. Also, we don’t really have a sauce recipe, just a list of ingredients handed down. So, divergence is inevitable.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/11/2017 at 22:57, STARS: 1
I would love to make it with home grown tomatoes, but I since I live in an apartment, I have no place to grown them. Maybe if I ever get a house, then I can have a garden where I grow tomatoes. That and a yard to start hoarding E9Xs.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/11/2017 at 23:00, STARS: 1
My situation exactly. I have a house, and I have an herb garden in back, but I really don’t have room for veggies. And to be honest, tomato plants are the last things I would choose on the list. They’re ugly and kinda high maintenance.
"Stapleface" (patrickgruden)
10/12/2017 at 07:18, STARS: 0
This looks awesome. I’ve only ever made eggplant parm once or twice. When it’s done right, it is delicious.
I will definitely have to remember to salt and rest the eggplant. And fry the eggplant. In the past, I’ve just put the eggplant in raw. While good, I think this version would be excellent.
Question for you about the sausage & meatballs. Did you just put them in to the baking dish whole, or did you cut them up? It just seems like it wouldn’t be very uniform if you had a random meatball or sausage in the dish.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/12/2017 at 07:27, STARS: 1
I use the meat to flavor the sauce. It gets taken out and eaten on the side. If I was going to add it to the casserole I would have to cut it up, otherwise, like you said, it wouldn’t be very uniform.