Cooking Eggplant Parmesan With Chicago Chef Anival Sanchez

Each Saturday, NBC Chicago teams up with local chefs for a lesson in cooking. This week, Chef Anival Sanchez, of RoSal's Restaurant in Little Italy, shows us how to make eggplant Parmesan. The restaurant is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium eggplants, washed and cut lengthways about 1/2-inch thick
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt, garlic powder, pepper, Parmesan and Romano cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Vegetable oil for frying, as needed. About 1.5 to 2 cups.
  • 1.5 pounds mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Instructions:

Put sliced eggplant in colander and sprinkle both sides with sea salt. Let it sit for about 45 minutes, then rinse with cold water and thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Add flour to medium bowl and season with salt, peppers, garlic powder, Parmesan and Romano cheese. In another bowl, whisk the eggs together with the heavy whipping cream and season with salt and pepper.

Soak eggplant in the egg mixture for about a minute, then dip each eggplant slice into the flour.

In a large skillet, pour enough oil to cover 1/2 inches in the bottom. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke lightly (about 380 degrees Fahrenheit). Add a single layer of the eggplant to the pan and cook until golden brown, about two minutes on each side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with marinara sauce, and arrange each slice of eggplant in a single layer, top with marinara, mozzarella, Parmesan and Romano cheese. Repeat using all of the eggplant, making sure to end with mozzarella cheese.

Cook on the top shelf of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Put the dish under the broiler for a minute just before serving to make the cheese bubbly on top. Enjoy!

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