panko fried eggplant

I love preparing eggplant like this. If you don’t want to fry them you could stop after you confit the eggplant. It will last in your fridge for a couple weeks and they are awesome with meats and fish or just on their own.

Ingredients

For the dredge

• ½ cup AP flour

• ½ cup potato starch

• 1 egg

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs, pulsed in a food processor

For the eggplant

• 1 lb eggplants, halved and quartered 

• Kosher salt

• ¾ cup olive oil

• 1 head garlic cut in half horizontally

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• Vegetable oil for frying

For Serving

• Lemon wedges, fresh herbs (thyme, bay leaves, rosemary), sea salt, confit garlic fried

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Makes 6-8 servings

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.  Sprinkle the eggplant all over with salt.  Place cut side down on paper towels for 30 minutes, the salt will pull out the moisture and bitterness from the eggplant.

Place eggplants to a baking dish and cover with the oil, garlic and pepper flakes.  Roast covered for 30 minutes.  Let cool in the fridge overnight.

Prepare dredge by adding flour and potato starch to a mixing bowl

Whisk egg in a medium bowl with a splash of water to thin out.  Place the panko in a separate tray.  Dredge each piece of eggplant into the flour, then egg, and lastly into the panko.

Preheat 1” vegetable oil to 350 in a large skillet or dutch oven.  Gently lower eggplant pieces into the oil and fry until golden and crispy about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels and garnish with sea salt.  Serve with lemon wedges and fresh herbs.