Memorial Day is right around the corner and that means a few things: gatherings with friends and family, the day off from work (yes!), travel (maybe), and food! It’s no doubt the food and gatherings go hand-in-hand because lets be honest…having loved ones and food around is pretty much great fun! Oh and cocktails are a PLUS!
For your upcoming Memorial Day fete how about some eggplant parmesan? How about a hand-held eggplant parmesan? That’s right. A deconstructed Italian classic and healthier too. The eggplant is not breaded and pan fried and the amount of cheese per serving is reduced because the serving is a finger-food size, rather than a gaping hole from a casserole dish.
I was struck with inspiration when I spotted the egg roll wrappers at the market. I didn’t want to create an Asian dish but rather a twist on a classic. So, the deconstructed eggplant parmesan emerged and It. Is. Good.
Nutritional perks -
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Eggplant – Helps to lower cholesterol levels and contains numerous vitamins such as vitamin K, B6 and C. A good source of thiamin and folate and an excellent source of fiber.
Eggplant Parmesan [deconstructed]
Print Recipe
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 16 egg roll wrappers
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
- 16 whole milk petite mozzarella balls (1 ball per roll)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbls dried basil
- 1 Tbls sea salt for prepping the eggplant
- marinara sauce for dipping. I used an organic store-bought version, but you can find a homemade version here.
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Cover all eggplant rounds generously with the 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Place the rounds in a colander and place over a bowl to drain for 1 to 2 hours. After the draining period, rinse the rounds in cold water and squeeze dry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper, and place the rounds in an even layer on a baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush extra virgin olive oil on the rounds. Season with sea salt, pepper (to taste) and dried basil. Do this on both sides of the eggplant rounds. Bake for 20 minutes.
When the eggplant is cooled, cut it into cubes.
To assemble the deconstructed eggplant parmesan, lay one sheet of egg roll wrapper on a flat surface. Add 1 tablespoon of the roasted eggplant, top with a generous sprinkle of parmesan. Slice 1 mozzarella ball and gently place on top of the eggplant and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fold over the short sides of the wrap and then gently roll over one long side. With the remaining long side still open, lightly brush the end with the egg wash. Fold over the remaining long side. The egg wash will act like the glue to seal the wrap.
With an oil mister filled with extra virgin olive oil or a non-stick cooking spray, spray a medium saute pan, which is placed over medium heat. Add two wraps at a time, seam-side-down. Brown on both sides. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Cut the wraps in half and enjoy! For full enjoyment, dip those babes in marinara sauce. So good!
what a delicious idea! Eggplant is terribly under-used and tragically misunderstood, thank you so much for helping to remedy this.
Do you purchase at farmers markets, and do you have a favorite eggplant grower?
Hi,
I agree. I don’t see many innovative approaches to eggplant or eggplant used all that often. I purchase produce sometimes at the Farmer’s Market (Hollywood or El Segundo b/c I work in El Segundo) and other times Trader Joe’s or Wholefoods. I don’t have a favorite grower; do you?? I would love to know! Thanks for the comment and support!
Wow, love this recipe! So innovative. As for eggplant at the farmers market, I don’t know if it’s come into season yet because I haven’t seen a lot of it at the market (I go weekly). However, it should be soon.
As for growers, I love the heirloom varieties of eggplant sold by Sage Mountain Farms at the Hollywood Farmers Market, one of my favorite organic vendors who supplies many top restaurants. However, as mentioned, they haven’t had any yet, but I’m sure they will soon.
If only I had a penny for every time I came to aforaubergine.com.. Amazing post.
I fell in love with this recipe when I saw it on Photograzing. We aren’t getting seasonal eggplant yet, but we love it. I just told my husband a couple of weeks ago that I’m in the mood for making Eggplant Parmesan. Added to the fact that I have been on somewhat a bender lately with egg roll wrappers, I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for sharing your brilliant idea.
I too Luv Sage Mountain when they have it. I have found some excellent chinese eggplant, as well as the tiny chicken egg size green eggplant, at the farmers market in DTLA chinatown
[...] and it all stemmed from my excess inventory of spring/egg roll wrappers. A few weeks ago I made a deconstructed eggplant parmesan with the delicate and multi-functional wrappers. Nevertheless, I had a large handful of wrappers [...]
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