Jamie Oliver's Eggplant Parmesan

If you live anywhere close to the East Coast, this weekend sure was a kick in the pants. It wasn't even fun to wear shoes with no socks, leave the Arctic puffy at home, and stroll in Central Park smelling the spring-like air. Where were the apple-cheeked children, the chilling gusts of wind and the restorative cup of cocoa that should have warmed our reddened hands after a brisk stroll under the icy sun, wrapped in our warmest woollen layers? Gone the way of the Polar bear, I suppose.

But when the heat seemed to have gotten into the heads of the people publishing recipes in one of the nation's best newspapers, I found myself at a particular loss. When they find it no problem at all to print recipes calling for such warm-weather staples as "fresh" basil leaves and "ripe" plum tomatoes in the depths of winter, tell me, dear readers: what am I supposed to do?

My answer as of now is to roll my eyes, sneer at the Holland tomatoes lying plumply in the grocery displays, submissively acquiesce to overpriced basil only to find it dead and blackened by the next morning, gnash my teeth, and then come to complain about it here. Aaaah yes. Relief.

In December, Marian Burros wrote a piece in the New York Times about the healthful recipes tucked away in several of 2006's popular cookbooks, including a recipe for tuna burgers from Michel Richard that has my salivary glands in full-swing (though it calls for both fresh basil and a ripe tomato - on December 20th, no less) and an eggplant parmesan culled from the pages of Jamie Oliver's latest book, which, incidentally, is a total delight.

Written in the same appealingly slapdash voice as his previous books, with David Loftus' gorgeous photography featuring luminous Italian scenery and people, this book is a treat. It feels more passionate than Jamie's other books, perhaps because he's on a mission now to educate and empower people to know more about where their food comes from and how to truly nourish their families. His missive on page 210 in Jamie's Italy about how out of touch we are when it comes to our food's provenance resonated deeply with me (am I getting to be a bore with this whole topic? It's just that I'm feeling evangelical about it.).

And let's be honest, it's a thrill to have such a popular food star actually taking a stand on these issues - how to be a responsible carnivore, how to be a good role model when it comes to your child's nutrition, how grocery shopping can be a political act. Can you see Giada or Rachael tackling these subjects? With their massive fan base, I wish they would.

But I digress. The book is also full of some delicious food (the rich-tasting and intense radicchio-arugula salad will be my go-to dinner party salad from now on). The eggplant parmesan was chosen by Burros as an example of a notoriously heavy dish lightened by Oliver's deft touch. Though I should point out here that you would be hard-pressed to find breaded and fried eggplant, covered with a slab of melted mozzarella and doused in marinara sauce anywhere in Italy. But let me stop myself before I get pedantic again (gawd). The dish is a medley of warm, stewy flavors and textures. It's heaven eaten with a heel of crusty bread, and is a firm contender for Best Next-Day Reheated Food. Those flavors don't run.

You cut up slices of eggplant and bake them in a hot oven, brushed with a bit of oil (though in summer, you could also grill them - sans oil) while you simmer together a plain tomato sauce (here's where the fresh basil comes in - or not at all, depending on what time of year it is and just how grumpy you are about buying that stuff out of season). Then the eggplant slices and the tomato sauce and a microplaned pile of fluffy Parmigiano are layered together before being topped with a fragrant pile of oregano-infused breadcrumbs.

Some of you might be cooking for people who need a bit more than a pile of stewed vegetables and some crusty bread for dinner, but I think it's no problem to serve this a side dish alongside some simply prepared fish or chicken. And what I plan on doing when I'm sick of eating it straight (Ben doesn't like eggplant so this casserole is all mine, all week) is boiling up a handful of pasta and tossing that with the leftover vegetables, along with a judicious splash of starchy pasta water. Pasta alla Norma redux or whatever.

Maybe, if the weather finally returns to normal later this week, that will be my ray of Sicilian sunshine.

Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 4 or 5 as a main-course

3 medium-large eggplants, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
Olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 28-ounce can no-salt plum tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ cup (packed) fresh basil leaves (or not)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or as needed
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves, optional

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil, and place in a single layer on two or more baking sheets. Bake until undersides are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn and bake until other sides are lightly browned. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add onion. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and dried oregano and sauté another 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their juices, breaking up whole tomatoes with your hands. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Add vinegar, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Into a 9-by-9-inch, 10-by-5-inch or 10-by-6-inch baking pan, spoon a small amount of tomato sauce, then add a thin scattering of parmigiano, then a single layer of eggplant. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a little sauce and a sprinkling of parmigiano. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and oregano, if using, with just enough olive oil to moisten. Sprinkle on top. If desired, recipe can be made to this point and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.

4. Bake until eggplant mixture is bubbly and center is hot, 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pan and thickness of layers. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Recipe can also be reheated.

Comments

[lee]

I love Jamie's Italy, eps. the picture of the four generations of pasta makers. Too cool!

[ann]

what is it with men and their dislike for eggplant? (okay, lets rephrase, what is it with your boyfriend and my boyfriend not liking eggplant?)

I guess it's a good thing though, more of the good stuff for us. Silly men! This sounds straight up my alley. Maybe I'll make it for my mom next time I'm home she'd love it. Her husband hates eggplant too ;-)

[shauna]

I am so happy to see you writing this about Jamie Oliver. I adore the man, and what he is doing for food. Before I met my Chef, I thought Jamie was charismatic and a mensch. But my Chef is mesmerized. He says Jamie is clearly gifted. In our house, if we want to watch an old episode of one of Jamie's tv shows, we say, "How about some crack?"

Like you, I mostly love the fact that he's advocating knowing more about our food and honoring the people who make it. To my surprise, much of my book turned out to be about that.

Now that the book is done, I can finally start reading Jamie's Italy. I'm thinking that this eggplant is going to be in our house soon.

Luisa, as always, you are the best.

That warm weather in New York, however? That's just weird.

[Paige]

Thanks for directing me back to Jamie Oliver...I was an early fan, but when the publicity juggernaut started, I kind of turned away. I'll check out the new book, and as my husband is an eggplant lover (whoo hoo) I'll be making this one pronto. If only I could convince my kids...

Have I mentioned how much I love your site? Oh right, every time I comment.

[Lydia]

I hadn't bothered to check out the new book because I'd gotten quite sick of Jamie Oliver. This recipe looks great, though, and I agree that it's nice to see a star chef take a very public stand on food sourcing and sustainability. I'm finding it impossible to actually buy "fresh" basil in the grocery store in winter, now that my own herb garden produces such a bounty of basil in the summer. I'll hang on to this recipe for a few more months.....sigh.

[David]

I remember thumbing through Jamie Oliver's first cookbook, before he became 'Jamie Oliver', thinking, "What a nice book!" It was full of recipes that were do-able and things I'd want to eat.

I couldn't agree with you more commending his activism. Perhaps if more famous folks used their influence, we wouldn't be in the predicament(s) we're in...although personally, I'm LOVIN' this global warming.

To heck with the next generation...the future's overrated.

[Rachael]

East Coast weather: no kidding! I swear it was near 70 where I live, and then predicted to snow tomorrow - Ha! This recipe looks delicious, and I love seeing fried things transformed into... non-fried things. Jamie Oliver = "Oliver's Twist"? I had not realized he was politically active about sustainability, but cheers to him. I only hope more people will wake up and start thinking about what they're putting in their family's bodies, and what they're doing to the planet as a result

[alice]

alas, it looks delicious, and the sentiment is dead-on, but even in these bizarre days, eggplant is not exactly in-season midwinter... We can't be angels, I suppose! I do love this blog, please keep up the good work.

[Luisa]

Lee - yes, they are lovely, aren't they?

Ann - that's weird, wonder if it's the textural thing (I have to say that eggplant can really walk the line between edible and not-so, in that case)?

Shauna - well, I already can't wait to read your book...but I'm glad to hear the sustainability discussion crept in there as well.

Paige - thank you!! That is awfully kind of you. As for Jamie, I think the spotlight on any kind of star can ruin the phenomenon, but in his case it seems to have just given him a broader platform. Which is nice.

Lydia - you have a garden! Envy overcomes me and I am rendered speechless.

David - Maybe it's a growing trend? I hope so. Otherwise, SOB.

Rachael - I couldn't agree with you more.

Alice - woops, woops and triple woops. You are absolutely correct. I'm off to bury my head in day-old eggplant now.

[Melissa]

One of Manuel's friends was visiting us recently and after spying Jamie's Italy on my shelf turned to me and said, YOU have a JAMIE OLIVER cookbook?

It's pretty ironic that Jamie has gotten the reputation as the non-cook's cook just because of his fame. He deserves it more than most of today's celebrity chefs! I bought his Italy book after being so impressed that he slaughtered a lamb himself on camera while filming this series - an admittedly disturbing scene that generated enormous controversy in the UK ("but children were watching!" people said), but I admired him so much for sticking to his guns and insisting on its inclusion. Even children need to know where meat comes from.

And the book is fabulous, isn't it?

[Julia]

I love Jamie's cookbook. The recipes are easy and the pictures are glorious to look at. I might have to make this recipe this weekend.

[Tanna]

I know it's partly just because I happen to agree with you 99% of the time but I love that you get it right so often. Yes, he does seem to be making some difference and I'm all for it.

[LyB]

I am so jealous! I asked for Jamie's Italy for Christmas but didn't get it... how awful! I did get a lot of other food related stuff though, so I guess I did alright anyway! I just love Jamie Oliver, he's very different from older chefs, he seems much more passionate about what he does, and he's getting young people interested in food, REAL food. So, I guess I'll have to get Jamie's Italy after all... I can always tell myself it's an antidote against the Winter Blues!

[lindy]

I'm a Jamie Oliver fan, too. I've always liked his food-he has a real talent for combining bold flavors simply, and he writes recipes that work.
Although many food "celebrities" take a stand on important issues, he goes a step further, by giving his time, in big, major chunks, to endeavors like his restaurant training young adults, who might otherwise be at loose ends, for serious careers in food, and his devotion to the school lunch issues. Plus, he's a cutie.

[lindy]

PS. I like the looks of that plate!

[Nancy]

Eggplant Parmesan as a side dish? What are we feeding a football team? I prefer mine as a main course. And, just as an FYI, my husband loves Eggplant Parmesan whereas I'm not the biggest fan of the purple plant.

[Carrie]

I tried this recipe after seening it in the NYTimes. It is great, very rich tasting. This is the best low-calorie eggplant parm recipe I have ever had. I will never make another. This is easier to prepare and tastes fantastic.

[Michael Natkin]

That looks delicious! I do a similar version but with a panko crust and an heirloom tomato dice on top, here's the recipe: http://vegfoodie.typepad.com/vegfoodie/2007/08/eggplant-parmes.html

[jane]

I realize that I'm leaving a comment on a post written more than a year earlier, but what the heck. Nice blog! And this is just the recipe I was looking for!

BTW, I have basil all-year-round. I didn't realize they become out-of-season during winter. I guess living in a tropical country has its advantages!

[palak]

finally i found the simplest way to make the egg plant parmigiana......hubby darling is gonna love it yay!!