At “Nam43“, during our trip to Naples in October 2020, we found a very unique menu where traditional Campanian cuisine is revisited in a modern style with pleasant variations. Among these, the parmigiana, a dish officially recognized and included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, categorizing it as Calabrian, Campanian, and Sicilian.
The Devoto-Oli dictionary defines “parmigiana” as a preparation based on sliced vegetables arranged to form alternating layers with other ingredients, thus the “parmigiana” tasted at “Nam43” also deserves the definition of “parmigiana”: cod and provola parmigiana with eggplants, cod, and provola, which I have attempted to replicate here.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 1.5 lbs desalted cod
- 6 oz provola
- 5 oz Piennolo cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- as needed flour
- as needed seed oil
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- as needed salt
- as needed basil (optional)
Tools
- 1 Mold loaf pan (9x5x2.5 inches)
Preparation
Cut the cod into thin slices the same size as the eggplant slices.
Cut the eggplants into slices about half a centimeter thick (roughly 1/4 inch), lay them on paper, and salt them until they release their water, flour them and fry in plenty of oil.
Sauté the garlic in extra virgin olive oil and add the cherry tomatoes, salt, and let it cook.
Slice the provola into thin slices.
In an oiled loaf pan, arrange alternating layers of eggplants, cod, tomato sauce, and provola, occasionally adding basil if desired. Repeat the operation until all ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of eggplants.
Bake for about 30 minutes at 350°F.
Where was Parmigiana born?
Sicily and Campania compete for the paternity of the recipe, which is a culinary staple of both regions, although there are significant differences between the two preparations: in Palermo, caciocavallo and grated pecorino are used, while in Naples, parmigiana isn’t mentioned unless it contains fior di latte or smoked provola.
Sicily and Campania compete for the paternity of the recipe, which is a culinary staple of both regions, although there are significant differences between the two preparations: in Palermo, caciocavallo and grated pecorino are used, while in Naples, parmigiana isn’t mentioned unless it contains fior di latte or smoked provola.
You can also find the eggplant parmigiana recipe in the book by my Campanian friend Nunzio Saviano, Personal Chef from Somma Vesuviana: “Vesuvian Cuisine”
