Chef John's Baked Eggplant Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
 - 2 eggs
 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, or more as needed
 - salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 - 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
 - 1 cup dry bread crumbs
 - 8 slices of eggplant, cut 3/8 inch thick
 - 2 slices provolone cheese, cut into quarters
 - 12 thin slices salami
 - 2 2/3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
 - 2 2/3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
 
Browse by ingredient
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
 - Beat eggs in a small, shallow bowl. Mix flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large shallow dish. Pour bread crumbs in another large shallow dish.
 - Top one slice of eggplant with 1/4 slice provolone cheese, 3 slices salami, and 1/4 slice provolone cheese. Place an equally-sized slice of eggplant on top. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, cheese, and salami.
 - Gently press each eggplant sandwich into the seasoned flour to coat; shake off excess. Dip both sides of each sandwich into beaten egg, then press into bread crumbs. Place on the prepared baking sheet while you bread the remaining eggplant sandwiches.
 - Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil in a circle about 3 inches in diameter onto the foil; place a breaded eggplant sandwich onto the oiled area. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the sandwich. Repeat with remaining 3 sandwiches, drizzling an area on the foil with olive oil, placing a sandwich onto the oil, and topping with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle tops of each sandwich with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
 - Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip sandwiches and sprinkle 1 teaspoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese onto the top. Bake until browned and a paring knife inserts easily into the eggplant, 8 to 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
 
Want to generate a custom recipe?
Click here → Defined Recipe