Aubergines au Parmigiana (Baked Eggplant Parmigiana)
I recently rediscovered Pierre Franey’s 60-Minute Gourmet in my cookbook library. Born and trained in France, Franey became a successful chef in New York. In 1975 he started writing a regular column for the New York Times, called 60-Minute Gourmet. The cookbook is a collection of many of the recipes from his column.
Browsing through the book, I found his recipe for Aubergines au Four “Parmigiana” (Baked eggplant parmigiana). It sounded so delicious that I had to make it.
This French take on eggplant parmigiana uses butter instead of olive oil. It is very easy to make, and it was fantastic! (Please don’t judge it by my photo; it does not do it justice. If you like eggplant, do try this version.)
Aubergines au Parmigiana (Baked Eggplant Parmigiana)
(Adapted from a recipe in Pierre Franey’s 60 Minute Gourmet)
Serves 4
1 1½-2 pound eggplant
4-5 tablespoons butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
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1. Preheat oven to 400˚.
2. Wash the eggplants and trim off the ends. Slice the eggplant into ½-inch slices.
3. Combine the butter and Parmesan cheese; spread the mixture on both sides of the eggplant. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Bake on a baking sheet for 15 – 20 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.
In the kitchen with Kath 