Eggplant Parmigiana da Lilly

Hi Everyone, and Happy Holidays.  Today I'm going to give you a recipe for my grandmother's eggplant parmigiana.  This dish is very special as it is not the usual eggplant baked with mozzarella cheese, but more of an appetizer served at room temperature.  I can remember my great aunts visiting Grandma and asking, "Lilly, do have any of your eggplant?" She was famous for it.  She kept it in a jar in the fridge and it was never around for long.  She was the only one in her family to make it and I've never had it anywhere else.  When I started making it for my own family, my step-son was so taken he made it for a school project ( he got an A ) and has incorporated it into his own repertoire.  It's now become a Thanksgiving tradition in my family as my daughter-in-law requests it.   A word of caution:  you must be a garlic lover for this one, and you won't stop eating it until it's all gone.  It's a bit labor intensive, but definitely worth the work!      

Eggplant Parmigiana da Lilly:

For this recipe you will need one large or two medium eggplants, a marinara sauce, 5 cloves of garlic chopped finely, grated parmigiana cheese and breadcrumbs. 

Slice the eggplant into thin rounds and fry in hot olive oil until golden on both sides and set aside.  Make sure your oil is very hot when you begin frying.  For the marinara sauce, saute three sliced cloves of garlic in a tablespoon or so of olive oil until golden then add a medium sized can of pureed tomatoes, a tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, salt, pepper and a little sugar to taste and let simmer for about ten minutes.  DO NOT add any onions.  Now you are ready to put the dish together.

In a chafing dish or bowl, line the bottom with a layer of eggplant , then spread on a tablespoon or two of the sauce, sprinkle on some of the chopped garlic, then about a teaspoon of cheese, half teaspoon of breadcrumbs and salt lightly.  Then begin again with another layer of eggplant, sauce, garlic etc. layer upon layer, until you've used all of your eggplant.  Cover and put it in the refrigerator for TWO days.  This is crucial!    Everything must meld together in oder for the dish to become what it is.  Don't be alarmed at the amount of oil in the dish, it's all good. Remove from the fridge and serve at room temperature with a good italian or french bread. Mmmmmmm....... this is so good, my mouth is watering!  Warning:  if you make a sandwich of this for lunch and bring it to work, don't let your co-workers taste it 'cause you might not get it back! 

Enjoy xo

I almost forgot, any left over sauce is a good sauce for pasta.