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Today I am telling you about a southern dish that everyone loves: the perfect Apulian eggplant parmigiana.
It is not known exactly where this dish originated; some say in Sicily and then in Campania, but it is very popular and made all over the South.
The original “Bari-style” version involves a filling of provolone, mozzarella and mortadella.
The essential element for the success of this dish is absolutely the quality of the raw materials.
1) The eggplants recommended for this dish are the long, purple ones with a slightly bitter flavor. Ideally, to eliminate the bitterness slightly, salt the sliced eggplant with a heavy weight on top, such as a press, so that they release some liquid and do not absorb too much oil during frying.
2) Cut the eggplant lengthwise only, no more than 0.2 inch thick. Never make them round. I have to say that in the South eggplants are dipped in flour and then in egg, so the original recipe is like that, but I honestly prefer them without egg and flour, just fried. Your choice.
3) To prevent water from wetting the parmigiana during cooking, it is best to salt it first. Once sliced, stack them, sprinkle them with coarse salt and let them rest for a little more than an hour with a heavy weight on top. Of course, before frying them, rinse and dry them a bit. This procedure will also help to slightly remove the bitterness of the oblong eggplants.
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