Serves 4
Notes
This is chicken-and-eggplant parmigiana all cooked and layered in one skillet. I brown both ingredients in olive oil, but skip the breading, which saves time and is healthier, and then proceed to make the sauce, top with cheese, and- done! Quick and delicious!
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 medium Italian eggplant (about 12 ounces)
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced on a bias, boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 pieces)
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- One 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- Peperoncino flakes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/2 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove vertical stripes of peel from the eggplant with a vegetable peeler. Slice the eggplant crosswise on the bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices, ideally about twelve in total. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Season the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon salt. Spread the flour in a shallow bowl, and lightly dredge the eggplant and the chicken.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a thin film of olive oil. Brown the eggplant in batches, 2 or 3 minutes per batch, removing them to a plate as they brown. Add more oil, if needed. Brown the chicken in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per batch, removing the pieces to the same plate as the eggplant (if they will fit) as they brown. Discard the oil, and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, and cook until it’s sizzling, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a large pinch of peperoncino. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the basil.
Shingle the chicken and eggplant in the skillet, alternating them, starting around the edge of the pan and then filling in the middle. Sprinkle with the cheeses. Bake until browned and bubbly all over, 20 to 25 minutes, and serve.
