Valentine’s Day ( and our anniversary) is quickly approaching and I wanted to share a recipe with you that coupled ingredients together beautifully. I came up with this Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan. I love eggplant. Tom, however does not. He can’t figure out why but he just doesn’t like it. That is until now. Since I fried it, covered it in sauce, cheese and coupled it with something that he did like (chicken Parmesan), he now enjoys it. You can’t go wrong with pairing together two Italian favorites — chicken and eggplant Parmesan. It is easy to do, just a little time consuming if you don’t use a big enough pan. Next time I make this I will use my electric skillet so I can brown the chicken and eggplant quicker. Another short cut is to use, dare I say it, jarred sauce. I hope you make this for your loved one. Enjoy!
1 large eggplant, peeled
Salt
1 lb chicken cutlets (or chicken breasts sliced thin)
Pepper
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water
3 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated cheese (I use Pecorino Romano) plus more for garnishing
Olive Oil (you will need to keep adding it to the pan)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
28 oz tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice eggplant into thick slices lengthwise (not rounds). Season with salt. Place in a colander or on a cooling rack. This draws the excess moisture out the eggplant. Let sit for 30-60 minutes. You will see water come to the surface. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Season eggplant slices with pepper. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a bowl or a deep dish mix the eggs with water. In a second bowl or deep dish mix together the cheese and breadcrumbs. Dip the chicken in the egg, coating both sides. Then dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs, coating on both sides. Do the same with the eggplant.
Heat garlic and enough olive oil in a large pan so that it covers the bottom. Add in chicken and brown on both sides. Set to aside. Do the same with the eggplant.
Layer a 9 x 13 inch pan with some sauce. Next layer the chicken cutlets. Add more sauce over the chicken. Then sprinkle with some grated and mozzarella cheese. Next layer the eggplant over the chicken cutlets. Add sauce, grated cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.
Serve with some pasta and Enjoy!
