Breaded Eggplant With Fontina Cheese And Anchovies

• 4 rounds eggplant, each about 1-inch thick, a total weight of about 3/4 pound
• Salt to taste, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
• Oil for shallow frying
• 4 rounds Fontina cheese, about 2 ounces
• 4 anchovy fillets, drained
• Tomato sauce (see recipe), optional
• Garlic, oil and anchovy sauce (see recipe), optional

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. If desired, trim off and discard the skin of each eggplant round.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Dip each round in flour and shake off excess.
5. Beat the egg with water and dredge each round, bottom and sides, in the mixture.
6. Dredge each, bottom and sides, in the bread crumbs.
7. Shake off excess.
8. Fill a heavy skillet with oil to a depth of about half an inch.
9. Heat until the temperature on a fat thermometer is about 375 degrees.
10. Add the eggplant rounds in one layer and cook, turning occasionally, about three minutes or until each round is golden brown and cooked through.
11. Drain on absorbent paper towels.
12. Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet or tin.
13. Top each with a round of Fontina cheese.
14. Split each anchovy fillet in half.
15. Arrange two pieces of anchovy in the shape of a cross in the center of each piece of cheese.
16. Place in the oven and bake five minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
17. Serve, if desired, with tomato sauce or garlic, oil and anchovy sauce.

salt, freshly ground pepper, flour, egg, water, bread crumbs, shallow frying, fontina cheese, anchovy, tomato sauce, garlic

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2531 (may not work)