Roasting an eggplant for "Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan"
I found this Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan recipe, which lists roasted eggplant slices as an ingredient. I'm guessing that I wouldn't want to roast it so that it is all mushy as one might do for other dishes (e.g. baba ghanoush).
Does anybody have a roasting technique they would suggest here?
As a side note/question, it appears with the classic Eggplant Parmesan recipe (like this one here), you would fry the eggplant, which starts with thin slices being salted and drained. I'm guessing such treatment isn't necessary for roasting in an oven?
Best Answer
For a recipe like this, that uses roasted eggplant slices, that you then top with some extra stuff, does not require much additional preparation. If you do it like the recipe you link to, you can just:
- slice the eggplant 1/2-1 inch thick, place it on oiled baking sheet (you can brush the slices with some oil on top too, sprinkle with some sea salt - ifyou haven't salted them earlier - and add some finely chopped garlic if you want)
- put in the 400 F preheated oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until they start slightly change color (thicker sclicew will take a bit longer) - you definitely want to preserve the texture (as you already guess you don't want them to turn mushy, but rather a bit crispy - so a broiler is a good way to go)
- then top with the stuff from recipe and bake for another 5-10 mins
Note: The texture of the cooked eggplant also depends on the variety - many Asian varieties tend to get softer and creamy, where most European varieties stay firmer and meaty (McGee, Food&Cooking).
For my eggplant parmigiana I usually flour and panfry the eggplant with a tiny amount of olive oil until golden on both sides, top with tomato sauce and cheese and broil for 5 minutes, sprinkle with fresh parmigiano and serve.
Salting and draining/washing usually helps getting rid of some bitterness. However, I have grilled and baked eggplants for years without doing that and it never tasted bitter ... I think many modern varieties are already way less bitter than eggplants used to be decades ago. But that might also be a matter of taste. So this procedure is always optional and mostly depends on the bitterness of the variety.
Bon appetit!
Pictures about "Roasting an eggplant for "Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan""
Should I peel my eggplant before roasting?
Do you have to peel eggplant before you cook it? You don't. The skin is entirely edible, though with larger eggplants it can be a little tough. If your eggplant is young, tender, and on the small side, the nutrient-rich skin can probably be left on for skillet frying or braising.Why do you soak eggplant in water before cooking?
Eggplant works like a sponge, soaking up the milk into the flesh of the fruit. The final result is creamy and juicy, and the bitterness is all gone. The quickest way to make your eggplants less bitter is to scoop out and throw away the seeds of the fruit.Do you have to soak eggplant before baking?
Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.Should I salt my eggplant before roasting?
Really? In most cases, that's just not necessary. After an extended series of experiments, I found you only need to salt eggplant if you're going to be frying it, and even then only sometimes. If you're cooking it in some other way \u2014 roasting, grilling, steaming \u2014 salting has no effect.Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe
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