Recipe with mozzarella di bufala

Ingredients for 4 persons :

3 eggplants
200g of parmesan
200g of mozzarella di bufala
Home-made tomato sauce
10 leaves of basil
Olive oil
Salt, pepper

Preparation of the eggplants :

Cut the eggplants lengthwise into thin 4-5mm slices. You’d better use a mandoline.

Heat 10cl of olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Fry all the slices of eggplant in olive oil on each side during 2-3mns so that the eggplants would be well brown.

A cooking alternative, quicker and more simple, would be to use an oven (200°C), which demands fewer fats and less surveillance. Spread the slices of eggplant on the baking pan, paste with olive oil, add salt and pepper.

Sponge each slice on absorbent paper.

Preparation of the gratin :

Cover the sides of a gratin dish with olive oil. You may also rub them with half garlic cloves.

Put in the dish a layer of fried eggplants.

Sprinkle with a thin layer of grated parmesan.

Put a layer of slices of mozzarella di bufala.

Cover the whole thing with hand-made tomato sauce.

Repeat the same thing until the dish is completely filled and end with a layer of mozzarella.

Cook in a preheated oven to 200°C during more or less 30mns.

This hot starter, called the « parmigiana di melanzane », whose name is a song, is an excellent antipasti for winter and during the whole year.