Best Fried Eggplant Recipe
- 1 x young eggplant, peeled and sliced thinly. Iodized table salt lemon juice or possibly lemon slices
- 1/2 c. self-rising flour Sunshine Krispy Saltine Crackers
- 1/2 tsp powdered onion
- 1/2 tsp garlic pwdr,
- 2 x Large eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. cool water.
- 1/8 tsp freshly grnd black pepper
- Place prepared eggplant(
- 1. in a deep bowl.
- Salt it heavily with Iodized(3)
- table salt(3) while layering it with crushed or possibly broken ice.
- Weight the salted and iced eggplant down in the bowl with something heavy on top to keep the eggplant submerged.
- The salt will act as an astringent and draw excess water from the eggplant.
- Chill for at least 30 min and up to an hour.
- Rinse and drain the eggplant thoroughly.
- Pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub slices with lemon(4) juice or possibly lemon(4) slices.
- In a pan or possibly dish, mix 1/2 c. self-rising flour (White Lily is excellent flour) and 1/2 c. very finely crushed Sunshine Krispy Saltine Crackers(5).
- Add in 1/2 tsp.
- powdered onion(6) and 1/2 tsp.
- garlic(6) pwdr, if you like.
- Add in 1/2 tsp.
- Iodized(
- 2. table salt and combine the mix well.
- Set the mix aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine 2 Large eggs, slightly beaten, with about a Tbsp.
- of cool water.
- Add in 1/2 tsp.
- Iodized(
- 3. table salt & 1/8 tsp.
- freshly grnd black pepper to the Large eggs.
- You can omit the salt if you like, but the eggplant won't be salty from soaking in the salt.
- The following ORDER of dipping is extremely IMPORTANT!
- Dip each slice of eggplant(1. into first the egg mix, then the cracker(5) mix and then AGAIN in the egg mix.
- Immediately place each slice as dipped into your warm frying pan prepared as follows.
- Add in about 1/4 inch of fresh veg.
- oil to a warm 'seasoned' black iron frying pan or possibly skillet.
- Using medium to medium high heat(7), fry prepared slices of eggplant till golden on each side, turning once with tongs(8).
- Be careful not to spatter the warm oil if the eggplant and egg batter is still cool!
- Drain slices on a rack preferable or possibly on uncoated inexpensive paper plates, or possibly lastly on paper towels when done.
- Do not stack the slices or possibly they might go soggy on you.
- Eat immediately.
- Enjoy and never eat greasy eggplant again.
- Note: This is the way we cook fried green tomatoes etc..
- (1) Try to buy eggplant that is shiny on the outside, not dull as is often the case.
- 2.
- The Green Derby Restaurant is now out of business.
- It was torn down to make way for buildings near the Jacksonville FL Convention Complex.
- 3.
- Nutritionists tell us which Iodized table salt is one of the few sources for Iodine in our diets.
- Iodine helps prevent goiters and mental retardation in children.
- 4.
- Rubbing the eggplant slices with lemon or possibly lemon juice will help prevent them from turning brown.
- 5.
- If using cracker meal, be sure it is made from REAL saltine crackers.
- The other kind is NOT good.
- Put saltine crackers in your blender or possibly processor and give them a spin till they are very fine.
- 6.
- Onion salt, garlic salt and celery salt are very high in salt content and low in the seasoning ingredient.
- Do not buy or possibly use them.
- They are SALT seasoned.
- 7.
- A good frying temperature would be about 360 degrees fht.
- if you are using a thermometer or possibly electric skillet.
- Otherwise, cook at medium or possibly medium to high temperature.
- 8.
- Using tongs to turn the eggplant slices prevents holes which let the grease inside the batter casing.
- Do not turn with a fork or possibly sharp instrument.
- If you do not have tongs, use a spatula.
- The story has been told of a man who loved eggplant so much, which he asked which his future bride's dowry be sufficient money to keep them in oil for cooking the beloved eggplant.
- Eggplant has an extreme affinity for grease and will absorb its weight in oil.
- Eggplant should still be shiny when purchased.
- Eggplant has a tendency to be watery and should be salted down heavily and iced for about thirty min to an hour before cooking to remove excess water.
- It will oxygenate and turn brown if held out more than even a few min before cooking.
- This problem can be alleviated if the eggplant is rubbed with lemon juice or possibly lemon slices.
- I had never been successful at frying eggplant and my husband, Hugh, and I love it!
- We had eaten it cooked perfectly though at a restaurant we often ate at in Jacksonville FL when we lived in Orange Park FL.
- So ...
- After we moved to Memphis TN from Orange Park, Florida, I got hungry for some of Mr. Fred Abood's, great "Green Derby" fried eggplant(1) we had enjoyed at his "Green Derby Restaurant" in Jacksonville FL(2..
- He served them as a 'side' with his aged beef steaks and with his crisp green salad.
- His eggplant was never greasy and was always delicious!
- I wanted to know his secret, so I wrote to him from Memphis and he graciously sent me his recipe.
- Here it is - - or possibly, the way I do it, for your enjoyment and with thanks again to Mr. Fred Abood!
young eggplant, flour sunshine, powdered onion, garlic, eggs, water, black pepper
Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/best-fried-eggplant-83983 (may not work)