Battered, fried, stacked and sauced, these casseroles tuck into the freezer for a rainy day, a holiday buffet’s vegetarian offering or a midwinter warmer.
This is the best way to take advantage of the abundant eggplant in midsummer, coinciding with the ripening of sauce tomatoes and bunches of basil. The more uniformly round and elongated the eggplant, the more consistent the stacks and the easier they are to pack into the baking dishes.
Store these stacks in freezer-to-oven-ready baking dishes in glass or ceramic -- but not aluminum, which will react with compounds in both eggplant and tomato and impart a metallic tang to the food.
The eggplant stacks can be frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost completely before baking. Leftover sauce can be frozen for up to 1 year. Baked eggplant-stack casseroles can be reheated, covered, in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes, then uncovered and baked for about 10 minutes longer, until the eggplant has crisped on top.
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Ingredients
measuring cupServings: 24 (fills three 9-by-13-inch baking dishes)
For the eggplant
For the sauce
For assembly
Directions
Step 1
For the eggplant: Line one baking sheet with several layers of paper towels and another baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a little grapeseed oil to lightly grease three 9-by-13-inch baking dishes (or several smaller shallow baking dishes). Prepare the eggplant-coating components: Place the flour in a medium bowl; whisk the eggs and cheese together in a separate mixing bowl, then whisk in the parsley, oregano, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes; place half of the bread crumbs in a third (medium) bowl.
Step 2
Coat each eggplant slice in the flour, then in the egg-cheese batter, then in the bread crumbs, making sure each slice is completely coated. Place them on the parchment-paper-lined baking sheet as you work. Add more of the remaining bread crumbs as needed.
Step 3
For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed 5-quart pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic; cook, but do not brown, until the oil is well scented. Remove and discard the garlic; increase the heat to medium and add the anchovies and butter, letting the butter foam and sizzle. Use a wooden spoon to break up the anchovies.
Step 4
Stir in the onions; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 14 minutes or just until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes; once they start to bubble at the edges, cook uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and saucy. Stir in the basil, salt and pepper; turn off the heat. Taste, and add salt and/or pepper as needed.
Step 5
Heat 3 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil in a large, wide skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add enough eggplant slices to fit in a single layer. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes per side, until well browned and crisped. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet as you work. Repeat to use all the eggplant, changing the oil (another 3 tablespoons heated each time) and wiping out the skillet every two or three batches, or the burnt bits will accumulate and turn the oil black and bitter.
Step 6
Spoon the sauce generously into the bottom of each baking dish to a depth of about 1 inch; you might have sauce left over. Make stacks of 3 slices of eggplant, tucking a nugget of mozzarella cheese (about the size of a cherry tomato) between the slices. Each baking dish will fit about 12 stacks, snugly. The stacks should not be submerged in their sauce.
Step 7
Cut a piece of parchment to cover the surface of each filled baking dish, then wrap the entire baking dish in aluminum foil. At this point, the casseroles can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Step 8
When you're ready to bake (and the eggplant casserole has been defrosted and is still wrapped), preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the wrapped casserole for 30 minutes, then discard the foil and parchment; bake until the stacks are crisp, another 10 minutes or so. Cool just a few minutes before serving.
Step 9
To freeze for later, date, label, and write the cooking instructions clearly on the package, wrap the entire dish in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost completely before baking.
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From Cathy Barrow, the author of “Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry: Recipes and Techniques for Year-Round Preserving” (W.W. Norton, 2014).
Tested by Cathy Barrow.
Published August 9, 2015
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