Eggplant Parmesan

My authentic Italian recipe (grain-free)

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Traditionally, Americans make turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce and, sometimes, your aunt brings a weird lime-flavored jello dish topped with marshmallows and Cool Whip - the latter I have never dared try.

As a kid, I remember my mother’s Thanksgiving feasts - they were truly remarkable and there was always enough food for 40 yet never more than 10 at our table. Her turkey is, without fail, mouthwatering. Her potatoes creamy and rich. Her stuffing (always with gizzards) out of this world.

And, her lard crusted pies are to die for.

Every Thanksgiving my mom would prepare each guest’s favorite pie. Yes, each person would have an entire pie dedicated to them. Apple pie for my brother. Grape pie for me and my dad. Pumpkin pie for Diggy (my dad’s dad). Custard pie for Granny. Lemon Meringue for Poppie. Pecan for my sister.

While I love Thanksgiving - after all it is a holiday centered around my favorite activity, food and cooking - I’ve never been head over heels regarding the Thanksgiving menu (unless, of course, prepared by my mother). Not to mention, my faulty insulin resistance genes could do without the bread, potatoes, entire pie and pastries.

This year, I decided to change it up by hosting an Italian-themed Thanksgiving.

My wife and I typically host Thanksgiving because I love to cook and I love to feed people while she loves to create a beautiful space for everyone to connect.

When my wife sent the T Day email invite out, only one person complained of their not being turkey. In which, the only comment I had when my wife told me was, Tell her she doesn’t have to come.

I mean, honestly.

I know I can be a bit straightforward and spicy with my communication. And, this is especially true when someone complains of a free, organic, grass-fed and traditional meal [that I’m making for them] not to mention it being paired with biodynamic wines from small family farm vineyards in Europe.

In the past, I would stress over the Thanksgiving menu - my turkey always comes out dry; it’s impossible for me to make a grain-free stuffing that doesn’t taste like sand; gravy without flour is a useless endeavor and my mashed potatoes are notoriously lumpy. Not to mention timing it all perfectly around the random and unpredictable arrival of the guests.

Obviously, Thanksgiving fare isn’t my cooking wheelhouse.

Yesterday, as I was making the Italian feast, I realized I didn’t feel the typical T Day induced cortisol rush. Instead, it was as if opium was coursing my veins. However, it wasn’t opium but a combination of Frank Sinatra playing in the background while I was in my Italian-food-cooking comfort zone.

Eggplant parm, meatballs, Caesar salad and lemon custard were all prepared with ease and under 4 hours. It was the most relaxing Thanksgiving dinner I have ever prepared. If I’m in the States for Thanksgiving next year, you can bet I’ll be making Italian again and for every year there after (please RSVP in the comments if you’d like to attend next years Italian T Day feast, seriously).

Eggplant parm is one of my favorite food groups. In fact, I love everything eggplant. Since my gut feels like a living hell when I eat grains, I’ve omitted flour from the recipe. Instead, I use a combination of Italian herbs and Pecorino to make a delicious, crispy eggplant parm. This has proven, time-and-time again, by those who’s lips have tasted my eggplant parm to be a gastronomic festa (festa is Italian for party).

To make eggplant parm, you’ll have to first make a sauce.

Here’s a link to my Traditional Italian Sauce recipe which, PS, you can use in a variety of recipes in addition to eggplant parm.

If you’re under the impression that making a sauce is hard or that it’ll take you hours to prepare or that you’ll need an Italian Nona standing by your side to make it, you are mistaken. However, it would be ideal to have an Italian Nona walking you through your first pot of sauce yet, it’s not a prerequisite by any means.

CHEF’S NOTE
One of the most important steps to making an amazing eggplant parm requires sweating the eggplant. To do this, you’ll peel the skin off of the eggplant, then you’ll cut the eggplant into round slices (of medium thickness) and then you’ll salt each piece of eggplant and let it sit for 3 hours. After 3 hours, you’ll pat dry the eggplant.

If you skip this step, so be it. But, eggplant is an oil hog. Whatever fat you use to pan-fry your eggplant (I often use lard) will end up being A LOT more if you don’t first sweat the eggplant. Not only that, eggplant can be bitter and sweating the aubergine will reduce bitterness and improve overall flavor.

Lastly, when buying eggplant look for those of smaller size. Bigger eggplants can be more bitter and less flavorful.

HEATHAR’S TRADITIONAL EGGPLANT PARMESAN

EGGPLANT PARM INGREDIENTS
2-4 eggplant, peeled and sliced round
1/2 cup lard (you will likely need more)
1-2 cups Pecorino cheese, finely grated
1-2 farm fresh eggs, whisked
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Enough Parmesan Reggiano to cover the eggplant during cooking
Enough of Heathar’s Traditional Italian Sauce to cover the eggplant

DIRECTIONS
Peel your eggplant. Cut into round slices of medium size. Salt each piece of eggplant and set aside for 3 hours.

Pat dry the eggplant.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Get out the largest Pyrex baking dish you have. Pour a light coating of sauce on the bottom - just enough to cover the bottom.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl.

Place the Pecorino and herbs in another bowl. Use your hands to combine the ingredients together.

Melt about 4 tablespoons of lard into a large skillet.

Dip a piece of eggplant in the egg and then place it in the herb and cheese mixture - coating each side. Place in the skillet and fry on both sides. You want each side to be a crispy light brown color. Once the eggplant is lightly browned on each side transfer to the Pyrex baking dish lined with sauce. Repeat this until you’ve pan-fried all of the eggplant.

If the pan starts to get black from the build up of ingredients during cooking, quickly rinse with water and return to the stove. You will have to add more lard with each new batch of eggplant that you pan-fry.

If you run out of the herb and cheese mixture, make more.

Once all of the eggplant are in the Pyrex dish, cover with sauce. Then, top with more Pecorino and/or Parmesan. You can add mozzarella when there’s about 10 minutes remaining if you’d like.

Place in the oven, cover and bake for 30 minutes.

This dish is amazing in and of itself but also pairs well with meatballs. It also goes well with red wine. The natural acidity and abundant polyphenol content of red wine aids in digestion and improves the assimilation of food, particularly rich food. This is why I often enjoy a glass of organic, biodynamic wine when I eat robust Italian foods such as eggplant parm.

Make sure to play Heathar’s Italiano Cooklist while making this dish or any of your favorite traditional Italian dishes.

Bueno Appetito,

~Heathar

While Heathar is a chef and homesteader, she’s also a homeopathic practitioner. You can read about Heathar’s homeopathic practice and her Practitioner Training program, on her Study Homeopathy Substack.

If you’re interested in learning about Heathar’s farm, you can learn more, right here.