Easy Eats: Eggplant Parmigiana

The oven does most of the work in this easy dinner. Photo: Sam Parish

I’m a massive fan of anything parmi, so I thought why not combine both the eggplant and schnitzel version for an easy midweek meal where the oven does most of the work? Raw chicken schnitzels can be found in the meat or deli section at the supermarket or butcher.

Serves 4 / Prep time: 5 minutes / Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp extra for drizzling 
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1.5cm thick rounds 
• 400g can diced tomatoes 
• 4 decent slices of ham 
• Handful of basil leaves 
• 100g cottage cheese 
• ½ cup grated cheese 
• 4 raw chicken schnitzels 
• Rocket salad, to serve 

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Place oil in a heavy based roasting pan (the heavier the better as this means it can get hotter faster). 

Add eggplant and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt. Scatter with garlic then pour over can of tomatoes. Fill can with water to rinse out and add to pan. Arrange over basil leaves and ham then bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and reduced slightly. 

Remove eggplants from oven and spoon over cottage and grated cheese. Place a rack over the roasting pan so it balances over the top. Add chicken schnitzel and drizzle with extra oil. Return to oven for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and crisp. 

Divide schnitzels between plates, then use a spatula to top with tomato mixture right before serving to ensure they stay crisp. Serve with rocket salad.

Photo: Sam Parish

Sam Parish is a Christchurch-based chef, writer and food stylist. Her food philosophy is ‘maximum of flavour, minimum of fuss’ (MOFMOF), which means she’s all about cooking smarter, not harder. She’ll be sharing delicious, fast, family-friendly food ideas every Wednesday (after road-testing them on her own whānau, of course). Sam’s first book, Cook Me is out now.