Eggplant Parmy

Recipe Osher Günsberg // @osher_gunsberg + Audrey Griffen @audreygriffen for Edgar’s Mission //@edgarsmission
Photography Julie Renouf

Here’s my wife Audrey’s vegan, gluten-free eggplant parmy. It's the tastiest. No amounts here, you’ll just need to eyeball it. I’ve quoted her directly where it’s important.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS 

• Eggplant, cut in 1 cm slices, lengthwise

• Salt

• Gluten-free plain flour

• Cornflour (or tapioca flour)

• Soy milk, to make the ‘wash’

• Gluten-free breadcrumbs (Aldi does good ones)

• Dried herbs (optional)

• Olive oil, for frying

• Vegan cheese slices

• Nutritional yeast flakes

• 1 x 680 g jar passata

• Garlic powder

• Italian mixed herbs

• Parsley, to serve 

METHOD

1. Chuck the passata, garlic powder and Italian herbs into a pan and cook them down (reduce to simmer).

2. Generously salt the eggplant, and leave it to dry out for about 20–30 minutes.

3. Use paper towel to dab it dry afterwards.

4. Remember to turn the oven on to heat up…180 degrees.

5. Use the cornflour to thicken the soy milk to make the ‘wash’. 

Next, you’ll need to set up three bowls:

• Gluten-free flour with a pinch of salt

• Soy milk and cornflour wash

• Gluten-free breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of dried herbs to the breadcrumbs if you like.

6. Moving from one bowl to the next, cover the eggplant in flour, then dip in the wash, then the breadcrumbs. 

7. Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan on a decent medium–high heat. 

8. How long do I fry the eggplant for? ‘Until there’s colour on the crumb.’

9. When they’re done, put the slices on paper towel to absorb excess oil, then place on a baking tray and pour the sauce over the eggplant. 

10. Spread the vegan cheese slices on top, then sprinkle with nutritional yeast flakes. 

11. Whack it in the oven for about 20 minutes until it’s nice and squishy.’

 12. Add some chopped parsley. Eat it!

This is edited an extract from Kindness Community Vegan Cookbook by Edgar’s Mission (Affirm Press, $35). Photography by Julie Renouf.

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