I bought 3 eggplants yesterday to the tune of $14.99. No, not a typo, I did indeed pay $14.99. Why, you ask? Well, I actually didn't realize the cost until I got home and looked at the receipt. It was my big shopping day, so it's not like I was ran in and bought 3 items. Anyway, I initially had the regular black eggplants in my cart, but then my eye caught these gorgeous violet and white beauties. So, I placed 3 in a bag, into my cart, and happily continued my shopping. On the way home, I began to think about what I'd make with them. Caponata? A casserole? Grilled? Fried? Aha! Yes, fried. The husband actually likes them fried, and I love them fried; so, the decision was made. I usually bread them with Italian breadcrumbs, but I wanted to try them with a panko breading. As luck would have it, I had Italian panko in the pantry. I soak my eggplant in a brine instead rather than directly sprinkling them with salt; it works just as well, but the eggplant tastes less salty. So, I partially peeled them, sliced them into sticks, and allowed them to sit in the brine overnight. This morning I drained, dried, breaded, and fried them. Now, these were really delicious, but were they worth $14.99? Uh, no, until the eggplants complete the entire process by themselves, I'll stick to my regular old black eggplants.
3 smallish eggplants
3 eggs
1 cup milk
16 oz Italian Panko breadcrumbs or regular Italian breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried majoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried savory or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 gallon water
3 tablespoons salt
Olive or canola oil (not extra-virgin)Peel eggplant, if desired. I peeled these, but I don't usually peel eggplants from my garden.
Slice into 1/2 inch rounds or sticks
In a large bowl, mix water and salt, until salt dissolves.
Place eggplant in salted water and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes; I soaked these for 4 hours.
Drain eggplant and pat dry.
Pour seasoned flour onto a shallow plate
Combine panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, dried marjoram, basil, and savory on a shallow plate and mix well.
In a bowl, beat together eggs and milk
Dip the eggplant pieces into the flour, egg wash, and then into the breadcrumbs.
Place breaded eggplant onto wax paper or a rack and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
In a large pan, pour about 1 inch of olive oil and heat to 375 degrees.
Fry eggplant pieces, a few at a time, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side.
Remove and sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired.
Enjoy!
