Eggplant Parmesan with Goat Cheese and Arribbata Sauce

Prep:

• 2-1/2 lb. eggplant (about 4 small or 2 medium-large)
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups grapeseed oil
• 4 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

For the arriabata sauce:

• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
• 1 small onion
• 3-1/2 lb. San Marzano tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped, or substitute two 28-oz. cans diced tomatoes (preferably San        Marzano), drained
• Kosher salt
• 12 large fresh basil leaves ( preferably Joe’s only available in Stroudsburg) torn in half
• 1-3 tsp. crushed red pepper
• Grated parmigiano or pecorino cheese

For assembling:

• 6 oz. fresh asiago cheese
• 8 oz. crumbled goat cheese (leave goat cheese refrigerated until ready to use because it softens quickly and is harder to crumble)
• 3 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Freshly chopped basil
• 1 head of garlic finely chopped

Salt the eggplant:

• Peel the eggplant and cut each into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cover the bottom and sides of a large colander with a few eggplant slices and sprinkle generously with salt. Top with more layers of eggplant and salt until you run out of slices (you’ll end up with five or six layers). Let the colander sit in the sink or over a large bowl for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. The salt will draw out water and reduce the eggplant’s ability to absorb oil.

The Arrabiata Sauce:

• Heat the 3 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until fragrant and barely golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt. Raise the heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down into a sauce, 20 to 25 minutes.  Add crushed red pepper flakes. Lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick, chunky sauce, 5 to 10 minutes more. (Too much liquid in the sauce will make the finished dish watery.) Turn off the heat, remove the garlic, and stir in the basil leaves and add cheese. Season to taste with more salt, if necessary, and set aside.

Fry the eggplant:

• Dry the eggplant by lining a large plate with a paper towel and setting a few slices on it. Top with another paper towel and layer on a few more slices. Repeat until you run out of slices.
• Add the grapeseed oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches 375°F.
• Mix eggs and milk in a dish
• Place breadcrumbs in a dish
• Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg mixture and then transfer to the breadcrumbs. Shake off excess bread crumbs and place slices comfortably in a single layer in the hot oil
• Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute more on the second. Working quickly, pick up each slice with a slotted spoon and press the back of another large spoon against the slice to squeeze out as much oil as possible. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all the slices are fried, layering the fried eggplant between paper towels and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the frying temperature.

Assemble and bake:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.
• Layer eggplant slices  on the bottom of a 10×8-inch (or similar size) baking dish.  Evenly sprinkle a layer of parmigiano, asiago and goat cheese across the layer of eggplant. Sprinkle freshly chopped garlic and basil next and then top off with a layer of sauce. Continue this until all the eggplant, cheese, garlic and basil is used up. Top off the final layer with remaining sauce. Bake until the cheese has melted evenly and the top is bubbly, with browned edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Note: Did you know that in italian Arrabbiata means “angry”.