Slice eggplant as desired - half-inch sections, then halved, seems to work best. If your eggplant is too large, you may not want to use all of it. Put flour into a 1 gallon size sealable plastic bag, followed by eggplant slices. Seal bag and shake until all slices are coated with flour.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs thoroughly. (You may want to thin this with a little water.) Place dry bread crumbs (preferably the kind you buy in a canister - I like the Italian style for this recipe) in another medium bowl. Mix the kosher salt in with the bread crumbs.
In a large (number 8) skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Place two plates between the breading area and the skillet; line one with paper towels.
Skewer each eggplant slice with a fork, removing it from the flour bag and submerging it in the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs, and place on the waiting plate. Once you have about six slices prepared, use tongs to place them into the oil.
Prepare three more slices as above, and then turn the cooking slices over. Eggplant cooks very quickly, each side should be done in about 90 seconds if you have the heat set correctly. While the other side cooks, prepare three more slices. Remove cooking slices and place on waiting plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Continue with the next six slices you have prepared until all the slices are cooked.
Preheat your oven to 350º F. In an 8 inch baking dish, alternately layer the eggplant, grated provolone cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and marinara sauce, ending with the sauce. You will only be able to build two layers, and should use about half of each ingredient per layer.
You will usually end up with a few leftover pieces of eggplant, and you can smear whatever remaining marinara is left in the jar on them and eat them as a snack while you wait for the dish to bake. If you have a covered dish, you may want to use the cover, but I usually don't. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until cheeses are thoroughly melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving - over a bed of vermicelli is how I like it best. You can prepare your pasta while the eggplant bakes, and if you time it right they will both be done together and you can congratulate yourself on how smart you are.
Depending upon how hungry you and your dinner party are, this recipe serves between four and eight people.
