Eggplant parmigiana

SERVES 4

“I always think of parmigiana as a piatto unico: a dish that isn’t a primo or a secondo, but is hearty enough to cover the entire meal,” says Davies. “In Puglia, parmigiana is considered an antipasto, and, indeed, in small enough portions, you could get away with eating this as a starter. But when we make parmigiana, this is all we eat.”

2 large eggplants

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 500 gm tomato passata

½ cup (loosely packed) basil Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying 1 ball (about 200 gm) fresh mozzarella, sliced 80 gm aged pecorino (or parmesan, or caciocavallo), grated

1 Peel the eggplants if you like, then cut lengthways into 1cm-thick slices. Layer in a colander and sprinkle each layer generously with salt, then place a plate on top followed by a weight (such as a can of beans). Leave for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. During this time, the eggplant will weep a brownish liquid. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with clean tea towels.

2 While the eggplants are draining, prepare the tomato sauce by heating the olive oil in a deep pan over a low heat. Add the onion and cook gently until soft and translucent but not coloured (about 10 minutes). Add the passata with a few basil leaves, a splash of water and a pinch of salt (try not to salt this sauce too much – the cheese will add some saltiness too). Increase the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is as thick as you like it.

3 Pour the vegetable oil into a wide saucepan or large frying pan, one that will fit three or four eggplant slices at a time. Set over a medium-high heat; the oil is hot enough when a cube of eggplant dropped into the oil sizzles immediately. Fry three or four slices at a time, a few minutes on each side, or until they are evenly golden brown. Drain well on paper towels and leave to cool. Continue frying until all the slices are cooked.

4 Preheat oven to 180°C.

Spoon some tomato sauce in a thin layer over the bottom of a 22cm x 22cm ceramic or glass casserole dish. Top with a single layer of eggplant, then spoon over half the remaining tomato sauce, a few torn basil leaves and one-third of the cheese – both mozzarella and pecorino. Continue layering eggplant, tomato sauce and basil, ending with layer of cheese, in particular the pecorino. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until you can see the edges bubbling, and a golden-brown crust has formed. Let the parmigiana sit for about 15-20 minutes before cutting. ➤