Mark's Cookery: Smokey Eggplant Parmesan with Gouda

1         Eggplant, medium
2 c.     Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
1 c.     Parmesan Cheese, shredded
2         Eggs
1/4 c. Milk
2 c.     Tomato Sauce
           Gouda Cheese, smoked, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Eggplant is a flexible fruit substituting for meat in many dishes.  Select an eggplant that is firm and heavy for its size and like most produce you want to select one that has bright, intense color in its body and stem and is free from cuts, bruises and blemishes. A ripe eggplant will spring back when pressed lightly. The skin can be eaten but if it is too thick it can be a little tough. If desired it can be peeled. Eggplant has a slightly bitter taste, this can be greatly reduced by choosing smaller eggplants and by sweating. To sweat your eggplant; first slice eggplant to 1/2 inch. Then liberally salt both sides and place in a colander over a bowl cover with a towel for 30-60 minutes. The water extracted will carry away much of the bitterness. The sex of the eggplant can also have an affect on the bitterness. (Eggplants reproduce asexually so the fruits are not really male or female but for the sake of description we pretend there are.) Male eggplants are smaller and can have fewer seeds, which makes them less bitter than female eggplants. How do you sex an eggplant? Look at the bottom indentation. If it is deep and shaped like a dash, it's a female. If it's shallow and round, it's a male.

While the eggplant sweats.Setup your dredging station, in a wide shallow bowl mix together the panko bread crumbs, Italian seasoning and shredded Parmesan cheese. Set aside. In another bowl, wisk two eggs and 1/4c milk.

Thoroughly rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Coat the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil. Pour some of your favorite tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. NOTE- You do not need to cover the whole pan, just where you are placing the eggplant slices. Dip the eggplant in the egg wash and let the excess drip off.  Place the eggplant into the panko mixture and coat. Tip- Use one hand or tongs for the wet bowl and the other hand for the dry bowl.

Place breaded eggplant slices on the sauce and top with a slice of smoked Gouda cheese. Layer more breaded eggplant slices on top and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes. When top is toasted and the eggplant softened, remove from oven and top with more sauce and shredded Parmesan. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Served with a tomato, onion, and basil salad and mashed oven roasted parsnips.