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Ever go wandering through the produce section of your local grocery store and wonder, what is that? Often, when I have nothing better to do, I go out searching for new and exciting foods. Cooking has become a relaxing past time over the years for me. In this short article, I would like to share with you one of my well known but little utilized finds, and yes, that would be the eggplant.
Many of you may be viewing my topic and thinking “Eggplant, YUCK!” But, I can assure you that this is most definitely not the case. The most common complaints’ that people have about the eggplant is it’s texture, and of course the flavorless pulp. I have spent countless hours in my pursuit of a delicious recipe containing this purple plant.
Unfortunately, the recipes that I stumbled upon did not sound very satiable. I then decided I would create my own recipe. So, off to the kitchen I went.
In preparing this recipe, my main objectives were to detract from the texture and intensify the flavor. Eggplant after all, really can be quite bland. Marinating and frying popped into my mind. The two combined gave me an absolutely delightful result. I used only basic supplies that can be found in virtually any household. (Except for the eggplant.) This dish is best served with steaming hot rice. Following are the simple ingredients and instructions you will need. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients: ÂĽ cup each of flour, dry plain bread crumbs, and yellow cornmeal; 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 eggs; cooking oil for frying; and of course 1 small eggplant.
Instructions:
1. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off of the eggplant. Cut the top off and discard. Slice into ÂĽ inch thick rounds. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, scramble together the eggs, soy sauce, pepper and salt.
3. Place the eggplant rounds in the bowl of egg mixture. Toss with a fork until all pieces are thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. While the eggplant marinates, you can prepare your dry coating. In another medium sized bowl, simply stir together the flour, bread crumbs, and cornmeal.
5. Remove eggplant from refrigerator. With a fork, place eggplant in coating. (One piece at a time works best.) Toss dry coating over each piece making sure to cover the whole surface.
6. Pan fry in cooking oil till golden-brown.
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