italiano

My husband, Luigi, is Italian, and his name is not the only unabashedly and stereotypically Italian thing about him.

He calls his mamma regularly. He is not afraid to cry. He would eat pasta every day of the week if I let him. He prefers to cook his eggs in olive oil and pepperoncino rather than butter. He's got a fiery personality. He has no problem with kissing other men on the cheek if they don't mind. Soccer is his religion. He tells it like it is.

I'm often reminded by my more sarcastic friends and family members about how I once vowed never to date, much less marry, an Italian man. And yet, Luigi is also the polar opposite of the Italian men I met in Italy more than a decade ago. He flew from his mamma's nest before hitting his twenties. He cooks, cleans, vacuums and irons. He has traveled the world. He'll try anything once. He is a very dedicated and hands-on papa. He is not afraid of strong-willed and opinionated women.

Luigi loves to eat and it can be challenging to cook him the same dishes that his mother has lovingly been feeding him for decades. Needless to say, I tread very carefully when I go down that dangerous road. Though Luigi will rarely tell me that these meals are better than his mamma's (it happened once and I got it in writing), I know I must be doing something right when his plate is wiped clean before everybody else's. Just like it was this past weekend, when I dared to make eggplant parmesan.

Melanzane alla parmigiana - or just plain "Parmigiana", as Luigi insists that it be called -  is hard to categorise. It is comforting and rustic, but it is also sexy and decadent. It's kind of like Daniel Craig in sweatpants....But I digress. Whatever the case, with eggplant season nearing its end, it is time for you to make it. Subito!

Melanzane alla Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmesan)
(Adapted from Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking")

For my lactose intolerant or cholesterol weary readers, the fried eggplant makes for a yummy treat on its own, served hot, warm or room temperature as an hors d'oeuvre, appetizer or contorno (side dish). For those who prefer not to fry the eggplant, I have included an oven-baked variation.

Ingredients
3 large cans Italian tomatoes, roughly chopped, without their juices
3 cloves garlic
Kosher salt
Olive oil, for tomato sauce
3 large eggplant
Flour
Vegetable oil, for frying (I recommend canola oil)
1 log or 3 large balls of fresh mozzarella (no more than a pound)
One cup freshly grated parmigiano
A handful of fresh basil (at least 3 or 4 leaves per layer of eggplant)

Directions
I'll admit that this is a time consuming dish, but it is simple and well worth it, and you can prepare your tomato sauce ahead of time.

Fried Eggplant

(Adapted from Marcella Hazan)

1. Eggplant can taste bitter, either when it is large or when it is bought late in the season. To lose this bitterness, it is necessary to purge it by steeping it in salt for about an hour, a process called "degorging". Make sure you choose eggplant that is firm to the touch and silky and smooth in appearance. If you cannot find the right produce, don't just buy whatever is on hand. Slice the eggplant crosswise into rounds of 6 or 7 mm (roughly 1/4 of an inch). In a colander, place the slices vertically in layers and sprinkle salt over each one. The eggplant will begin to sweat and lose its dark bitter juices.

After about an hour, pat each slice dry (do not squeeze) with paper towels. The eggplant must by dry to fry properly.
2. Spread flour in a dinner plate. Not too far from where you will be frying the eggplant, set a cooling rack over some paper towels. If you do not have a cooling rack, line a platter with paper towels.
3. Pour vegetable oil into a large frying pan until it comes 1 1/2 inches up the sides, and turn the heat up to high. Test the heat by dipping a slice of eggplant into it. The oil is hot enough for frying if you hear it sizzle. Coat the eggplant slices in the flour, tapping off the excess, and fit as many slices into the pan as possible without overcrowding. Only flour the slices right before you add them to the oil, or else the coating will become soggy. Fry the slices until they are golden brown on one side and then turn them over with tongs and fry the other side. Once the eggplant is done, use a slotted spoon or gently remove with a tong to the cooling rack or paper-lined platter. Finish cooking all the eggplant. Reduce the heat slightly if you find the oil becoming too hot, but refrain from adding more oil to the pan.

Tomato Sauce
(Luigi's)
4. This sauce can be made up to two days ahead of time.
5. Pour three or four tablespoons of oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan that will accommodate all the tomatoes. Peel and smash three cloves of garlic, add them to the oil, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Infuse the oil with the garlic for about three minutes, making sure the oil does not smoke or the garlic does not brown.
6. Pour the tomatoes into the pan, add a little pinch of salt, stir and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, so that the tomatoes simmer gently. Cover and leave for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking down with the back of a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes have cooked and are falling apart, and until they have reduced by at least one third. Process roughly with an immersion blender, or a food mill, or with a potato ricer, until the tomatoes are smooth. That being said, you can choose to leave as much texture in the tomatoes as you wish.

Eggplant Parmesan
(Adapted from Marcella Hazan)

7. Preheat your oven to 400F and lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 11x7 or 9x13 baking dish with butter.
8. Thinly slice your mozzarella. Wash and dry the basil and tear each leaf into at least two pieces.
9. Line the bottom of the baking dish with eggplant, in a single layer, spoon and spread tomato sauce over the eggplant, cover with a layer of mozzarella, sprinkle liberally with parmesan (those are Marcella's words, and I concur), scatter a few pieces of basil, and top with another layer of eggplant. Repeat these steps and finish with a layer of eggplant on top. Sprinkle with parmesan and place the dish in the upper third of the oven.
10. Cook for 20 minutes, check that you do not need to remove some excess liquid by pressing down with the back of a spoon and cook for another 15 minutes. Let the dish rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Baked eggplant variation
I prepare it this way if I am feeling guilty. The flavour of the baked eggplant will be slightly deeper and its texture a little meatier. I find the fried eggplant holds its shape better and, well, it is delicious. However, the baked method is also yummy and, more importantly, it has passed the Luigi test.

After degorging and drying the eggplant, preheat your oven to 375, lightly brush the eggplant rounds with olive oil and place, in a single layer, onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes to half an hour, carefully turning the pieces over with a spatula, halfway through. Once the eggplant pieces have cooled, assemble the Parmigiana as described above.

Serve with crusty bread, red wine and a nice big green salad.