Eggplant Parmesan a family tradition

Andy Kotnik started making his eggplant parmesan for the staff at Henry's Farmers' Market, where he used to shop a few times a week while living in Mission Viejo in Orange County.

That's a testament to how much he loves this tasty dish, believed to have originated in the southern Italian regions of Campania and Sicily.

“It's a family tradition,” said Kotnik, who retired from the high-tech industry and moved to Cloverdale with his wife, Lydia, in September.

“Lydia's grandmother made it back in the 1960s, and then her mom made it.”

Kotnik, who is half Italian, grew up cooking with his mom and loves to serve his beloved eggplant dish as a starter or a side dish when he invites family and friends over for dinner.

“It's one of our signature dishes when we entertain,” he said. “You need a whole afternoon to make the dish because it does take a while.”

Over the years, Kotnik has adapted the recipe to suit his own cooking style, frying the perfect orbs of eggplant on the barbecue on indirect heat. Once he puts the dish together, he often bakes it on the grill as well, throwing some applewood chips into a smoker box for a sweet whiff of smoke.

“I wanted to get the cooking done outside of the kitchen because it's a messy process,” he explained. “On one side of the barbecue, you put the egg wash and the breading. On the other side, you let the eggplant rest after cooking.”

Of course, if it's raining, you can always fry your eggplant on the stovetop and bake the assembled casserole in the oven, but either way, it's important not to rush the dish.

“The first most important ingredient is a bottle of fine wine,” he said. “Just a little goes into the sauce, and a few glasses go into the chef.”

To get a head start, Kotnik often slices the eggplant on Thursday, then lets it dry out for a few days on some towels on the kitchen counter. Then he will fry them and assemble the casserole on Saturday morning.

“I can hurry it up by drying the eggplant in the oven on low heat,” he said. “If it's sunny, you can lay them out in the sun.”

Thoroughly drying the slices ensures that they hold the egg wash better and do not become mushy in the cooking process.

With lots of fresh eggplant still available from local farms, now is a good time to fry up some extra eggplant, then freeze the slices for later. That cuts down on the time required when you get the hankering for some eggplant parm down the road.

“They freeze like chips,” he said. “When I need to make a dish, I just layer the frozen eggplant with the sauce and cheeses.”

Look for eggplants that are nice and firm. Kotnik peels them, sometimes leaving on a few strips of skin, then cuts even slices about a quarter-inch thick.

“My secret is that I use an electric meat slicer in order to get the slices of eggplant thin and consistent,” he said.

When tomatoes are in season, he also slices fresh Romas a quarter-inch thick and layers them with fresh basil. It's an optional add-on that gives the finished dish more moisture and “a little different flavor.”

Once the eggplant is set out to dry - for a few hours or a few days - Kotnik turns his attention to the sauce, which is, thankfully, a simple, 30-minute process.

Next, comes the labor-intensive part: breading and frying the eggplant into crisp, golden-brown slices. Kotnik uses a simple egg wash, then dips the slices into semolina flour mixed with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

On the grill, he lines the middle burners with heavy-duty foil turned up at the edges, then cooks the eggplant on medium, indirect heat.

“It's a constant flip-and-go process,” he said. “They get crisp like a chip, then I put them on paper towels to rest.”

To assemble his masterpiece, he sets out all of his ingredients. Then he coats the inside of a deep baking pan with olive oil and goes to town with the satisfying process of layering.

“Start with a layer of eggplant, then add the tomato sauce, Parmesan, mozzarella and fresh basil,” he said. “Then repeat for four or five layers. It's like a lasagna, with nice, even layers.”

After an extra sprinkle of Parmesan on top, the casserole is covered with foil and popped into the oven - or onto the grill.

“This dish is great either hot or cold,” he said. “After baking, let it stand for an hour, then serve or place it in the refrigerator. The longer this dish rests, the better the flavors blend.”

If he has extra eggplant, Kotnik will often make an eggplant sandwich for lunch. Simply slide the slices into a toasted roll and add more mozzarella and maybe some roasted red peppers.

Kotnik also loves to make his own pizzelle, an Italian wafer cookie that he flavors with almond, lemon or chocolate. And he makes his own pasta, using a handy attachment for his KitchenAid mixer.

“I still have grandma's old pasta machine from Italy,” he said. “When Lydia's mom passed away, I got some kitchen tools. That's what got me started.”

___

The majority of the cooking process takes place on the barbecue using indirect heat, but you can also fry the eggplant in a saute pan and bake the casserole in the oven. Total prep and cooking time is about 6 hours. To bake, you need an aluminum baking pan about 10 inches wide, 16 inches long and 4 inches deep.

Andy's Original Eggplant Italiano

Serves 8 as an appetizer or side dish

2 eggplants

8 ripe Roma tomatoes (optional)

1 sweet yellow onion

1 bunch fresh basil

1 teaspoon dry oregano

3 scoops Italian seasoning

- Fresh ground salt and pepper

- Splash of red wine

1 cup (more or less) of semolina flour (from Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup (more or less) white flour

4 eggs (more or less)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (from Muir Glen or Cento)

- Olive oil, as necessary

1 8-ounce container shredded Parmesan cheese

2 16-ounce containers mozzarella cheese, sliced

Step 1: Eggplant preparation

Set up a place to dry the eggplant. I use a large, clean bath towel on a counter top, but multiple paper towels can also be used.

Cut the ends off the eggplants and peel them. Then slice the eggplant into thin rounds of 1/4-inch thick. Place the slices in a single layer on the towel for drying. Drying takes about 2 to 3 hours.

Step 2: Roma tomato preparation (optional)

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4-inch thick. Using a dinner plate, cover it with a layer of tomato slices, then a layer of fresh basil, and add another layer of tomato slices and another layer of fresh basil until all of the slices are on the plate. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Step 3: Sauce preparation

Place olive oil in your sauce pan. Add diced garlic, onion, fresh basil, oregano, a heaping teaspoon of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into the sauce pan. Sauté over medium heat until tender, then add the can of tomatoes. After the sauce starts to simmer, add a splash of wine and reduce heat. Cover the sauce pan partially so that some steam can escape and your sauce reduces. Simmer at least 90 minutes, stirring occasionally or until sauce thickens.

After the sauce thickens, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature, uncovered.

Step 4: Breading, frying the eggplant

The goal is to get golden brown slices of eggplant.

Prepare the egg wash in a bowl by beating 4 eggs. (You can add more if you run low.) Do not season eggs.

Prepare the breading mix in another bowl by adding equal parts of semolina and white flour, seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, to taste. Mix well.

Prepare the barbecue by placing a long sheet of heavy-duty foil on the grill with the ends and sides bent slightly up to prevent the olive oil from running off. Cover the foil with olive oil and keep the oil bottle handy, as you will have to add more as you cook.

Start the barbecue on medium, using the burners on either side of the foil for indirect heat. Dip the dried eggplant slices, one at a time, into the egg wash. Drain and place them in the breading bowl. Cover each side and then place the eggplant slices onto the hot foil. Flip the eggplant occasionally until they are golden, remove, and place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to drain. You can place multiple layers of eggplant and paper towel until all of the cooking is completed. Allow the eggplant to cool.

Step 5: Assembling

In a nice, large, deep baking pan, start by coating the entire inside with olive oil to prevent sticking. Continue by placing some sauce on the bottom of the pan, followed by a single layer of eggplant. Add a few slices of the sliced Roma tomatoes and basil (if using) or just the fresh basil. Generally sprinkle grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheese over the eggplant. Finish each layer with a few tablespoons of sauce drizzled over the cheese.

Start the next layer with more eggplant and repeat. After you have used all of the eggplant, sprinkle a light coating of Parmesan cheese on top. Cover your baking pan with foil.

Step 6: Baking

On a four-burner barbecue, light the end burners only. Place the covered eggplant in the center of the grill using the indirect heat method. Set your barbecue at 300 degrees and let the eggplant bake between 45 and 60 minutes. You may wish to turn the dish during the baking process. (If using an oven, bake in a 300 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes.)

Step 7: Serve and enjoy

After baking, let the dish stand for an hour and then serve hot or place in the refrigerator. The dish is great either hot or cold. The longer this dish rests, the better the flavors blend.