Crispy Eggplant Parmesan Bites

By Shawn

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants (I used aubergene)
• 2 cups whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs (I only had one egg, so I used one egg plus some egg whites)
• 1 cup white flour
• Marinara sauce
• Crushed red pepper (optional)
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil

Details

Adapted from trailsandkale.blog

Preparation

Step 1

1. Peel the eggplant then slice them into 1/4 inch rounds. Next, you’re going to arrange them in layers on a large plate and liberally salt each and every layer. Then, place another large place on top of the eggplant stack, and place a heavy object (a cast iron skillet or a brick will do). Let that sit for 20 minutes, and you’ll see a bunch of gross-looking brown liquid on the bottom. Dump the liquid out, and rinse the eggplant slices in a colander. Once the eggplant is all rinsed, place them on a towel for a few minutes to dry.

2. In three separate shallow dishes, put the flour in the first, eggs (beaten) in the second, and a mixture of the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in the third. Prepare two baking dishes (I lined mine with foil then brushed them with olive oil) and preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Dip each eggplant piece in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the mixture into the eggplant to make sure it’s evenly coated. Shake the excess off and place on the baking sheet, then repeat until all of the eggplant is gone. Then, drizzle the eggplant pieces evenly with olive oil and place in the oven.

3. After about 15 minutes, take the racks out, flip each eggplant piece over, and also transfer the baking sheets (swap the top and bottom sheets); then bake for 15 more minutes, and do the same thing; then bake for another 15 minutes. If the eggplant still isn’t a dark golden brown when you take them out, feel free to pop them back in the oven until they’re the desired color.

4. Mix the marinara sauce with crushed red pepper and heat it up for about a minute. Then arrange the bites in layers: Eggplant, marinara sauce, mozzarella slice, basil leaf.