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Prep time
5 minutes
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Cook time
15 minutes
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Serves
6
Author Notes
Edna was not my own mother, but matriarch to the 6 generations who have been my next door neighbors... well, forever. In the tiny seasonal community of Dinkey Creek, California - where we kids roamed the mountainside in a pack, where every “mom” had equal disipine authority to your own, and where shared dinners were the norm - Edna’s recipes were the gold standard. They still are nearly 80 years on... I bet half the families on the creek don’t even know eggplant can be cooked another way. And why should they? It's creamy and crunchy, so simple it’s barely a recipe, and totally scalable. —Katelong01
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Ingredients
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2
Large globe eggplants
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3/4 cup
Grated Parmesan
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3/4 cup
Mayonaise
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment (optional, but adds to the ease).
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Mix equal parts mayo and parm. (You can adjust the amount of the parm/mayo mixture easily if you're feeding a larger crowd; leftover mix makes a killer grilled cheese sandwich spread.)
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Slice eggplant thickly- 3/4 to 1”. (Edna peeled hers; I don’t.)
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Slather the parm/mayo on both sides of each eggplant slice and place on baking tray.
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Bake at 400 degrees about 15-20 minutes; until brown, bubbly, and soft when pierced by a fork. Gently remove from tray with a spatula (to keep the underside’s crust intact.)
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Serving options: A side dish, a burger layer, on a salad, or layer with ripe summer tomatoes and basil leaves (delicious and fancy looking to boot).
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