Plating the perfect Parmigiana di Melanzane

Intl Day of Italian Cuisine

International Day of Italian Cuisine is celebrated all over the world on January 17 every year. The aim of the festival is to spread the love of the cuisine and promote traditional Italian delicacies. Parmigiana di Melanzane, a traditional southern Italian dish, was declared as the official dish of the 9th International Day of Italian Cuisines.

“While Italian cooking is not complex, the trick is to get the right balance of flavours. Italian cuisine is all about fresh ingredients that are cooked quickly and celebrate the natural flavours of the ingredients being used,” says Daniele. Chef Daniele Macioce, Chef de Cuisine, Tre-Forni Bar & Restaurant, Park Hyatt Hyderabad, has been participating in the festival over the years and marking the existence of this delectable cuisine. This year, he prepares the highlighted dish, Parmigiana di Melanzane.

(Serves 8 -12)

Ingredients

• 4 large eggplants
• Plain flour for coating
• 4 eggs
• Olive oil
• 300g Buffalo Mozzarella
• 100g Grana Padano Cheese
• Salt and pepper

Sauce

• 4 table spoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1.5 kg peeled tomato can
• 10 fresh basil leaves

Method

• Slice the eggplants 1cm thick. Dust the slices on both sides with flour. Beat the eggs, season with salt, and dip in it the floured eggplant slices.
• Fry the eggplant slices in the hot olive oil (180 C) until brown on sides, remove and drain. Change the olive oil after frying 2 or 3 batches of eggplants.
• Make the Tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is gold. Add the tomatoes and stir until the sauce begins to boil. Lower the heat, keep the sauce boiling and cook for 20 minutes, stirring to prevent the sauce on the bottom of the pot from burning. Salt and pepper to taste. When the sauce is cooked add the basil
• Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F/ Gas 6.
• Prepare the Parmigiana for the oven. Put two or three spoonful of tomato sauce in the bottom of a large ovenproof dish; arrange a first layer of the eggplant slices. Cover the eggplants with some buffalo mozzarella; add a few tablespoons of tomato sauce and Grana Padano. Arrange another layer of eggplant slices, in the opposite direction to the previous layer, cover with buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce and Grana Padano. Continue with layers until you get to the top of the ovenproof dish. The final layer must be of tomato sauce, mozzarella and abundant Grana Padano.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Leave the dish to sit for 30 minutes at least before serving. Parmigiana can also be served lukewarm.