Individual Eggplant Parmigiana Strips

First, prepare the eggplant. Trim the tops and bottoms off and peel them both. Then trim away the rounded portions so that the eggplant is a rectangle. You can reserve the rounded portions to roast and use in baba ganoush, or use in veggie stock. Slice the rectangles into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise to get lovely strips. You should get about 12 strips from the 2 eggplants. Put them in a colander over the sink and sprinkle them liberally with salt. This draws out the moisture and bitterness. Let it sit there for an hour.

When the hour is up, it is time to bread the eggplant. Set up the breading line with the flour, seasoned salt and garlic powder whisked together in the first bowl, the eggs beaten thoroughly in the second bowl and the bread crumbs in the third bowl. Set up a plate on the end to hold the breaded eggplant. Then put each piece through the line by coating it in seasoned flour first, then the egg, and finally the bread crumbs.

When all of the eggplant strips are breaded, heat up about 2 inches of canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it starts to shimmer, fry the eggplant strips in batches of 4 for about 3 minutes on each side. When they are crispy and golden, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel to drain them. Once all of the strips are fried, it’s time to assemble everything. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF and get out two or three baking dishes, depending on how big they are. a 9 x 13 pan can hold 6-8 strips in one layer, while an 8 x 8 pan can hold 4.

Take each prosciutto slice and cut it in half lengthwise. Then wrap each eggplant strip in one of the strips of prosciutto before you place them in the baking dishes. Spread a tablespoon of marinara on top of each prosciutto wrapped eggplant strip, then evenly sprinkle the mozzarella on top of that. Finally, sprinkle the very top with the dried parsley. Bake it all for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the prosciutto gets crispy. Serve immediately! You can serve it on crusty bread for an eggplant parmigiana sandwich or over pasta with more warmed up marinara. Enjoy!