Skillet Gratinate of Eggplant and Veal

What I love to do is watch a cooking show and then duplicate the dish for the family. I would copy all of the shows on the local PBS station and watch them three or four times to get the hang of the recipe. My absolute favorite is Lidia. Here is a great recipe I made that the family loves. I fact I am going to make it tonight. I passed by the butcher and he had just pounded out some veal. Wait a minute that sounds dirty. Anyway check this out.

2 pounds boneless veal, preferably in one piece

*1 1/2 pounds small eggplants (2 or 3)

1/2 cup canola oil or other vegetable oil

1 cup or more flour, for dredging

1/2 teaspoon salt=

For The Sauce

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons soft butter

Freshly ground black pepper

2 dozen fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 cups Summer Tomato Sauce (see Primi section for recipe)

1/2 cup white wine, plus more if needed

3/4 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 cup hot Simple Vegetable Broth (refer to Primi section for recipe)

Place a rack in the center or upper third of the oven and preheat to 425°F.If you have a single chunk of veal, slice it across the grain into six equal pieces (Or substitute veal cutlets TY). Pound each piece with a mallet (or the flat bottom of a heavy pan) to flatten to a 1/2-inch thickness. Trim the stem and bottom ends of the eggplants. If they’re 6 inches long or less, cut them lengthwise and into 1/4-inch-thick slices. If they are longer, slice them on the diagonal at a sharp angle, creating large ovals. You should have two or three pieces to cover each veal cutlet. Put 1/3 cup of canola oil in the skillet and set over medium heat. Dredge the eggplant slices in flour, and when the oil is hot, put about half the pieces in the pan. Fry gently 2 to 3 minutes, and flip when lightly caramelized; fry for another 2 minutes on the second side. Remove to paper towels; salt lightly. Add remaining canola oil to the pan (if it seems dry) and brown the rest of the eggplant; drain on paper towels and salt lightly. Remove the skillet from the heat and pour out any remaining canola oil.

Starting on the Stovetop

Put the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in the skillet and set over medium-low heat. Salt the veal slices, dredge in flour, and when the butter is just sizzling, arrange all six in the pan. Cook them gently for a minute or so, then turn and let them brown slowly while you make the gratinate and the sauce.

• Season the veal with pinches of salt and grinds of fresh pepper.

• Lay one or two basil leaves flat on each cutlet.

•Spoon a heaping tablespoon of tomato sauce on top of each

• Cover the sauced cutlets with overlapping slices of eggplant.

• Raise the heat; drop the remaining butter, in pieces, around the pan

• Pour the 1/2 cup of wine into the pan and let it heat briefly.

• Spoon the remaining tomato sauce in between the veal portions.

• Shred the rest of the basil leaves and drop into the sauce.

• Shake the skillet to mix up the sauce, and add more wine or water if the level is too low.

• Finally, sprinkle 2 tablespoons or so of grated cheese on each cutlet.

Finishing in the Oven

When the sauce is simmering, place the skillet in the oven. (Put the handle in the front and the food in the back.) Bake for 10 minutes- and have thick pot holders or dry towels in hand before you touch the handle or the skillet!-then open the oven and check the pan. Right on the rack, give the skillet another gentle shake. There should still be plenty of sauce, and the cheese should be lightly colored. If the sauce appears syrupy, or close to evaporating, add more vegetable broth, stock, tomato sauce, or wine to raise the level.Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the veal is fully cooked and tender and the gratinate top is deeply and evenly browned. If the cheese layer still appears too light, raise the heat in the oven as high as possible (turn on the broiler if it is top-mounted) and bake briefly until it is as dark and crispy as you like.Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, handling it with plenty of thick cloths. I carry it right to the dining table, where it makes a beautiful presentation. While it is on the table, leave the cloths covering the hot handle. With a large, angled spatula, lift one portion of the veal-and-eggplant gratinate onto a dinner plate, then spoon over it some of the sauce.

You can get a lot of other great recipes at Lidia's Italy.