The Best Fried Eggplant Method To Try Now + Eggplant Napoleon Recipe (2024)

For the Fried Eggplant:

• 1 eggplant medium or large sized
• 1 cup Gluten Free flour blend
• 1 cup Gluten Free bread crumbs
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups cooking oil for frying, we like grapeseed oil
• kosher salt & pepper to taste

Herbed goat cheese:

• 6 oz goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon truffle oil
• 2 tablespoon fresh minced herbs

Roasted tomatoes:

• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Pesto sauce:

• 4 cups basil leaves well packed
• 4 cloves garlic lightly crushed and peeled
• 1 cup pine nuts or walnuts (or a combination of the two)
• 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino cheese (or acombinationof the two)
• 1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Eggplant:

• Slice the eggplant crosswise¼ inch slices. Let soak in salted water for 1 hour. Remove from water, pat dry.

• Have 3 medium size bowls is ready: one with flour, add salt & pepper to taste; another one with 2 eggs and half a cup of water mixed well; the last bowl with bread crumbs.

• Dip eggplant in flour mixture, shake well, dip in egg mixture and place in breadcrumbs/pumpkin seeds making sure it's coated well.

  See Also

  Roasted Root Vegetables With Polenta Recipe

• Let it sit for 1 hour on the kitchen towel in the refrigerator.

• Preheat oil to 370 F (190 C) and place eggplants three rounds at a time (depending on the size of the pan). Fry the eggplants until golden brown, remove from oil, season with salt and pepper lightly.

Herbed goat cheese:

• Mixingredientstogether until combined.

Roasted tomatoes:

• Slice tomatoes into 8 wedges, remove seeds, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt & pepper and bake at 275 F (135 C) until tomatoes wilt and get brown on the edges.

Pesto sauce:

• Place basil leaves and garlic in food processor or blender and process until leaves are finely chopped.

• Add nuts and process until nuts are finely chopped. Add cheese and process combined

• With the machine running, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. After the oil is incorporated, turn off the machine and add salt and pepper to taste.

• If not using immediately, store in an air-tight container with a thin coating of olive oil on top to keep the sauce from turning dark. Pesto will keep well in therefrigeratorfor a week or more. This recipe yields approximately 3½ to 4 cups, and can be halved.

Eggplant Napoleon Assembly:

• Place 1 eggplant on the pan, spread pesto on top, place goat cheese on top of the pesto, add tomatoes on top of that.

• Place another eggplant on top and repeat.

• Top off with one last eggplant, place goat cheese on top and bake in the oven at 300 F degrees for about 2-6 minutes until cheese is melted.

• Place on the plate with some mixed greens on the bottom, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and enjoy.

Originalrecipe provided by Vatche Moukhtarian, Cracked Pepper Bistro to Taste Fresno

Remaining pesto can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.