Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Recipes / Vegetable side dishes / Melanzane alla Parmigiana

Melanzane alla Parmigiana

by Jeanne Horak on April 9, 2007 7 Comments in Vegetable side dishes, Vegetarian

melanzane-parmigiana

I must admit that I have been on a bit of an Italian binge lately.  Not surprising, seeing as recently at the very tail end of winter the universe suddenly played a mean trick on us and sent sleet and snow and general cold!  What can be more comforting on a chilly night than a rustic Italian meal?  Although I have not spent nearly enough time in Italy, I feel a connection with the country and its cuisine through my fab sister-in-law Paola.  Her enthusiasm for the food of her forebears and her flair for presenting it is a constant source of inspiration to me.  So what are we waiting for – let’s cook Italian!

The first of my Italian evenings was prompted by the discovery of a beautiful pair of very reasonably priced aubergines on our weekly grocery shopping trip.  Usually I just slice them, salt them to draw out some moisture and then fry them in a bit of olive oil – which is lovely but not particularly exciting.  For some reason, when I saw these two aubergines lying head to toe like a purple yin and yang symbol, I had a vision of eggplant parmesan.  It’s one of those things that crops up fairly regularly as a vegetarian option in restaurants and one that I’ve often eaten, but one of those things you seldom make youirself.  I also usually find it to be a relatively expensive dish to order in a restaurant, but having made it myself, I see where the money goes: into labour costs!!

But first a word or two about eggplants. There is some uncertainty as to where the plant originated, but it is suspected to be in Asia.  They gradually spread westwards and established a firm grip on Middle-Eastern cuisine (think baba ghanoush) – and when the Arabs occupied Spain and Sicily, their eggplants travelled with them.  This would explain why melanzane parmigiana is regarded as a Sicilian speciality:  the influence of Arab cuisine was far stronger there than in mainland Italy.  Increased trade also meant that eggplants soon became known throughout Europe, but there it seems they encountered a bit of a public relations problem.  You see, they are officially members of the (poisonous)nightshade family, together with the potato and tomato. For this reason, they were shunned by many Europeans in the 16th and 17th century as (at worst) poisonous and (at best) inducing madness, fever and epilepsy.  In fact the Italian name of melanzana“derives from the words mela (apple) + insana (unsound) – in other words “noxious apple”!  It was only in the 1700s that attitudes changed and dishes such as ratatouille became popular.

Speaking of names, just how many names does one vegetable really need??  Its Spanish name is la berenjena, derived from its Sanskrit name of vatin gana. So far so good, and a clear indication of its journey to our tables.  But in English, I have variously heard of it being called brinjal (its Indian name), aubergine (its French name), eggplant (its English name) and even melanzane (its Italian name, although this is rarer).  To this list you can also add eggfruit (Australia), garden fruit (West Africa), apple-of-love, Asiatic aubergine, Guinea squash, gully bean, pea apple, susumber – and even Sodom and Jew’s apple.

When buying eggplants, look for shiny plump fruit with no wrinkled skin.  The fruit should feel heavy for its weight (indicates a high moisture content) and should not have visible scars or bruises as these could indicate bruised flesh inside.  The condition of the eggplant’s green stem should also give an indication of its age – it should be firm and bright green.  Remember – the older the fruit, the more likely it is to have a bitter or acidic taste.  And on that topic, it is a long-standing practice to slice and salt an eggplant before cooking it.  Some say it is to draw out the bitterness, others say it merely draws out the moisture.  Either way, it does seem to stop the eggplant soaking up excessive amounts of oil during cooking (and believe me, these babies are like sponges!).  Although careful breeding means that few eggplants are terribly bitter these days, unless you are desperately trying to avoid salt, I would recommend salting before cooking (see method below).

As I mentioned above, despite the name seeming to suggest Parma, melanzane alla parmigiana is regarded as a Sicilian dish which probably has its roots in the time that Sicily spent as an Arab emirate after the Arab conquest of 827AD.  Although I served this dish hot as a vegetable side dish, it can also be served lukewarm as part of an antipasti platter  -either way it is tremendously comforting and truly delicious.  Buon appetito!

MELANZANE ALLA PARMIGIANA (EGGPLANT PARMESAN) (serves 4-6)20070203melanzane_parmigiana_closeup

Ingredients

2 large aubergines
1 tin of tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
toasted breadcrumbs
plenty of fresh basil
150g mozarella cheese, sliced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method

Slice the aubergine (I sliced mine lengthways to make for fewer pieces to fry!).  Salt on both sides and leave the slices to stand upright in a colander so that any bitter juices can drain away.

Prepare the tomato sauce – fry onion and garlic until soft but not browned.  Add the tin of tomatoes and a teaspoon of sugar (and a pinch of dried oregano if desired) and heat the sauce through.

Blot the slices of aubergine with kitchen towel.  Mix some plain flour with salt and pepper on a plate and  dredge each slice in the seasoned flour (both sides) before frying in the olive oil.  (The flour stops the slices from sticking to the pan – makes your life a *lot* easier!) Although some recipies suggest deep-frying, I shallow-fried mine and it worked just fine.  Each batch of slices takes about 4 minutes, turning once.  Drain the slices well on paper towels and keep warm.

Butter a baking dish (mine was about 30x18cm), sprinkle the bottom with toasted breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess.  Layer the aubergine slices, follwed by the tomato sauce, some fresh basil leaves, mozarella slices and grated parmesan.  Repeat these layers to use up all ingredients, finishing with sauce topped with only parmesan.

Cover the dish loosely with aluminium foil and bake at 200C until bubbly.  Can be served hot or cold, preferably with fresh bread for mopping up the juices.

More deliciousness for you!

  • Margherita pizza grilled cheese sandwichesMargherita pizza grilled cheese sandwiches
  • Curried vegetable potjiekosCurried vegetable potjiekos
  • Garlicky stuffed mushrooms and hello 2006!Garlicky stuffed mushrooms and hello 2006!
  • Aubergine dengaku with miso and mozzarella from “Nikkei Cuisine”Aubergine dengaku with miso and mozzarella from “Nikkei Cuisine”

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons
The Stockpot – a London institution [CLOSED] »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Susan from Food "Blogga" says

    April 10, 2007 at 12:19 am

    I had no idea eggplant had such a storied past! Eggplant parm was a staple growing up in my house. My mom would make a huge baking dish full, and we would bring it for lunch tucked inside crispy Italian rolls. Just writing that sentence makes me crave one now! Yours looks mouth-watering! When eggplant comes into season at the farmers’ markets in late summer, I get waaay too excited and buy waaay too many. 😉

    Reply
  2. Pille says

    April 10, 2007 at 6:01 am

    What do you mean, sleet and snow?? We’ve already packed our spring clothes for the forthcoming trip!?!?
    Melanzane alla Parmigiana, Moussaka, Lasagne – they’re all perfect for cold days, of course..

    Reply
  3. Ash says

    April 10, 2007 at 8:21 am

    Oh yum! I usually make moussaka because we get these quite often in our veg bag. No idea why, but we do! I’m not complaining 🙂
    My friend from Indonesia does awesome things with aubergines – she roasts them whole then scoops out the flesh and adds chilli for a spicy dip, or she curries them.
    I like eggplant parmesan, but I’ve never made it myself. Will have to give that a try!

    Reply
  4. Jeanne says

    April 10, 2007 at 12:58 pm

    Hi Susan
    Mmmmmm, leftovers in crispy Italian rolls, OMG does that ever sound fabulous! And isn’t the history fascinating? And I admit that this is very far from being a seasonal recipe – I admire your self-control to be able to wait till late summer 😉
    Hi Pille
    Oh no, don’t panic – as always there is (ahem) a slight delay between my cooking a dish and getting as far as writing it up… So the snow and sleet I mentioned was actually about 2 and a half weeks ago 😉 Temperatures this week are predicted to be in the upper teens and lower twenties!
    Hi Ash
    Eastern and Middle-Eastern aubergine recipes are always soooo delicious – spicy aubergine dip is one of my fevourites with warm pita. And yes – I really recommend making yuor own eggplant parmesan – it’s well worth the effort and you can make a lot at once.

    Reply
  5. johanna says

    April 10, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    sliced & rosted aubergines are also lovely as fingerfood, i am dying to try a maki-style roll with seasoned couscous & sundried tomatoes inside…
    we also call aubergines melanzane in austria, btw.

    Reply
  6. Robi says

    July 18, 2008 at 11:32 am

    ooooh NO! what a hell…Parmesan cheese is not required on eggplants Parmesan. You have to study more about this

    Reply
  7. Alifemoment says

    February 7, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    My husband loves parmigiana di melanzane, and me too 🙂
    we are getting hungry right now, nice recipe, it reminds me of good childhood memories 🙂

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes
  • Cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Oxtail and red wine potjie
Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
Jan Ellis pudding - a classic South African dessert
My big, fat South African potato bake

Featured on

Also available on

🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day to those of you who don't speak Welsh! 

1 March is the Welsh national day  and what better way to celebrate than surrounded by daffodils -  the Welsh national flower!

Did you know that:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The English name "Wales" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "foreigner" - but the country's Welsh name "Cymru" means "friends" in Welsh.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The  Welsh language Cymraeg is the oldest language in Britain, at about 4,000 years old!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 There are more castles per square mile in Wales than any other European country.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Mount Everest is named after George Everest, the Welsh surveyor who first mapped the peak on western maps.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The beautiful Menai bridge (spanning the Menai Strait between the Isle of Anglesey and mainland Wales) was the first suspension bridge in the world.

Have you ever visited Wales? What did you like most about it?
*NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, *NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, capers and dill. Pretty in pink 💕

[AD] Blood oranges are a small obsession of mine - from blood orange posset to blood orange and halloumi salad to blood orange & Cointreau upside down cake, I am always looking for new ways to make the most of their short season. Barbecuing them with salmon, capers and dill is a perfect match in terms of flavour as well as colour (or you can oven bake the salmon if it's not barbecue weather where you are!)

When @grahambeckuk asked me to suggest some recipes to match their wonderful Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV sparkling wine from South Africa, this was a pairing made in heaven, and wonderfully colour co-ordinated with their silver-pink bubbly. Get the full recipe and find out more about Graham Beck's sparkling wines, made using the same methods as Champagne, on my blog - link in my bio above. 

What do you like to do with blood oranges? I'd love to hear in the comments!
💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into 💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball

Whether you are celebrating with a partner, with friends, or by yourself today, I hope most of all that you love yourself, love your body, love your strengths, love your weaknesses, and love who you are (or are becoming). Because... you're worth it!

Are you doing anything celebratory today? Let me know in the comments 💘💘💘

(The beautiful street art is London Hearts by @akajimmyc)
📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2022 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2022 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT