A dish popular all over Italy, aubergine parmigiana is the perfect family meal. Fried slices of aubergine are layered with rich tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil and heaps of Parmesan....
Line a plate with paper towels. Add vegetable oil into a frying pan. Heat on a medium-high heat until hot. Add some of the aubergine slices in a single layer until the base of the pan is covered. Fry for 4 minutes on a medium-high heat, on both sides, until golden brown. Transfer the cooked aubergines to the plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat the same process with the rest of the aubergines. Tip: Add more oil if needed and ensure it’s hot before adding more aubergine slices.
Fit the Stir Tool. Add olive oil into the Appliance bowl. Heat for 1 minute at 110ºC, speed off, until hot. Add tinned tomatoes, basil sprigs and fine sea salt. Cook for 15 minutes at 105ºC, on speed Stir 3, until softened.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease a baking dish (25 x 20 cm) with 1 Tbsp butter. Add 1 single layer of aubergine slices into the bottom of the baking dish. Spread ⅓ of the tomato mixture on top and cover with mozzarella. Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp of grated Parmesan and dot some of the chopped basil over. Repeat the same layering process two more times. Add the final layer of aubergine slices. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 200ºC, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Grate Parmesan cheese over the dish.
Serve.