Some people have a love/hate relationship with a vegetable like eggplant. I am one of them. If prepared the wrong way, eggplant may feel like rubber or sponge. But use this method and not only you, but the kids will also love eggplant!

Parmesan Cheese

Formally known as Parmigiano Reggiano, this cheese is a great source of umami. This hard cheese is made from cow milk and comes from the Italian regions of Parma and Reggio Emilia.

Parmesan cheese should be at least 12 months old. As with good wine, it improves with age. And with age, it gets more expensive. And when it comes to price: never buy grated Parmesan. First, often the quality is abominable, and secondly, the price per weight is several times the price of a chunk of Parmesan cheese.

Real Parmesan cheese should bear the DOP designation: Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin). If it doesn't, it isn't.

Only a few grams of finely grated Parmesan will give your dish that much more umph.

On with the Process

The key to tasty eggplant is that the center should be nice, soft and maybe even gooey. Follow this method and dazzle your diners!

1. Slice the eggplant into slices of about 1 cm (0.4 inches) thick. I prefer to slice them lengthwise, but do as you please. The skin of the eggplant is the least tasty part, so you may want to discard the end slices. You could go so far as to peel the eggplant completely, but I find the skin helps to hold its form while cooking.
2. In a skillet, on a low heat, roast the slices. Do not use any (or very little) oil at this point, as the eggplant will only soak it up like a sponge. Turn over regularly. The roasting is done if the middle starts coloring darker and becomes soft. This may take 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Allow the slices to cool down. Set up your "pané-street". Pané-ing is coating in breadcrumbs. Here is how: set up three bowls; the first with plain flour, the second with egg wash (one egg, whisked), the third with breadcrumbs (I use Panko breadcrumbs) and - the obvious ingredient - freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The flour serves to absorb any moisture, the eggwash is the "glue" that will make the breadcrumbs stick. 
4. Pané-ing can be a messy business. This is how to limit the mess: using only your left hand, pick up a slice of roasted eggplant, and put it into the first bowl with flour. Make sure both sides are coated. Still with only your left hand, place the slice in the bowl with the whisked egg. Make sure your hand does not touch the egg. With your right hand, move the slice through the egg mix, again making sure both sides are coated. Drop the slice in the third bowl and coat both sides with the breadcrumb / Parmesan mixture. Put the prepared slices on greaseproof paper until you are ready to fry them. The process, up to this step, could be done in advance. In that case, keep the breaded slices in the refrigerator, separating them with greaseproof paper to make sure they cannot stick together.
5. In a skillet, fry the breaded slices in a little bit of olive oil and serve immediately, while still crisp!