Nellie Misch, a friend we hadn't seen in years, happened to drive by while we were having a yard sale... (Yes, you heard me, a yard sale!) Before leaving, she shared with us two perfect eggplants that she had picked from her garden just moments earlier...
A couple of scenarios presented themselves as possibilities: Asian, of course... Baba Ganoush... but neither of those quite thrilled...
Until Charlie said, "Well, you know, there's always Eggplant Parmigiana..."
At first I laughed! I don't usually make heavy greasy 1950s stuff like that! Then, of course, my Inner Chef rebelled and reminded me that just because this dish had often been debased and reduced to crappy steam-table fare did not mean that the real version was anything like that...
So... I sliced and salted the eggplants, let them drain for an hour, rinsed and dried them, and roasted them in a 450° oven on a lightly greased sheet for 25 minutes... then let them cool. While they cooled, I made some simple tomato sauce: I sautéed a minced onion with a few equally minced garlic cloves... added fresh chopped oregano... plus some smoked salt and red and black pepper. Off the heat, I added 1 can good San Marzano tomatoes, drained...
And let that rest.
In a gratin dish... I covered the bottom with a bit of sauce and 1 layer of eggplant. I shredded some good fresh mozzarella over that... scattered a few basil leaves... sprinkled some Parmigano... topped it with more sauce...
And repeated the whole thing.
Then finished the dish with a covering of "old baguette" breadcrumbs. I baked it in a 350° oven for 20 minutes, and it probably could have used another 5-10. Then I broiled it for just a minute to brown it a bit, served it with some cheap, hearty red... And a great, Non-Greasy time was had by... Both.
Don't give up on dishes you love just because the last time you tasted it, it had devolved into something you didn't recognize!
And remember... When life gives you eggplants... !!!
