Osteria’s Parmigiana di Melanzane

Welcome to another tasty edition of Chefs Share! Each month, we share a home chef-friendly recipe from one of Miami’s culinary stars. If you’ve never worked in a professional kitchen before, don’t worry: These recipes do not require any formal experience, and the ingredients can be found at your local specialty store or supermarket.

This month’s recipe comes from Gianluca Calisi, executive chef of Osteria, located at 8001 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami’s MiMo District (786.634.1005). The restaurant serves a selection of classic authentic Italian food from different regions, north to south, with particular attention to the quality of ingredients and a curated presentation. That includes the parmigiana di melanzane, which you’ll be making.

“At Osteria you can find the best recipes that every Italian nonna cooks for the family with a gourmet touch,” said Calisi. “In general, Italians don’t spend much time for breakfast, they grab a coffee and a croissant at the bar and go. But when it comes to dinner, they love to sit down at the table with their family and friends and enjoy a good meal in good company. I would say that we could consider dinner a sacred event in the day-to-day life of Italians.”

Before you get started, be sure to read the entire recipe to avoid any surprises along the way. Enjoy!

PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE (EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA)

Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

·     Sunflower seed oil (or another vegetable oil for frying)

·     35 ounces eggplant, cut into slices a bit less than 1/2 an inch thick

·     Flour

·     Extra-virgin olive oil

·     1 medium white onion, chopped

·     8 ounces peeled tomatoes

·     1/2 ounce basil olive oil

·     Salt

·     Pinch of sugar

·     17 ounces buffalo mozzarella, diced and strained

·     7 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated

PREPARATION

·     Heat oven to 400º F; in large sauté pan over medium heat, heat sunflower seed oil.

·     Dredge eggplant slices in flour and fry in pan until light golden brown; set aside to drain on paper towels.

·     Add olive oil to pan, add onion and cook until yellow-gold; add peeled tomatoes and simmer 2 hours.

·     Blend sauce mixture, add basil olive oil, salt and sugar.

·     In casserole dish layer ingredients: first tomato sauce to keep eggplant from sticking, then eggplant, then mozzarella, then Parmigiano-Reggiano; continue layering until all ingredients are in dish (you should have five complete layers).

·     Place casserole in oven and bake 30 minutes; remove and let rest 20 minutes before serving.

Irene Moore is a Miami-based writer and certified sommelier. Her vivid descriptions take readers through culinary cultures around the world. Her feature articles have appeared in print publications, travel guidebooks, and websites in the US. and Europe.