Eggplant Fries

If you have not tried eggplant fries, you just have to!  Even though they seem to be the new trendy thing for restaurants to serve, they are really not new to me.  Those of your familiar with old southern cooking know that if you can dip it in cornmeal and fry it, southerners will do it – or at least we used to.  We have gotten a bit healthier over the years, so it has been a while since I have had these.  And, to be honest, growing up, we just always sliced the eggplant into its natural rounds, so making it look like fries is new, but the ingredients are just the same.  Best of all, it is so good that my husband says that eggplant is he new favorite vegetable!  I will warn you that this recipe makes a lot of fries, so cut it in half if you don’t need to serve that many.   Hope you enjoy!

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Eggplant Fries

Prep 40 mins

Cook 20 mins

Total 60 mins

Author Michelle Hilton

Yield 8

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 tps. salt plus more to prepare eggplant
• 1 1/4 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• canola oil for frying

Instructions

1. Peel eggplants and cut into thick cut fry sized pieces.
2. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes. This will remove any bitterness. The eggplant may turn slightly dark in places, but that is ok.
3. Rinse and drain eggplant, but don’t dry it. It needs to be slightly wet for the cornmeal mixture to stick.
4. Stir together cornmeal, flour, and 1 tsp. salt.
5. Toss eggplant in cornmeal mixture until coated.
6. Heat oil to 1/2 inch depth in a large skillet over medium high heat.
7. Fry eggplant in batches, turning occasionally until golden brown on all sides.
8. Drain on paper towel lined plates.

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This recipe was shared on Foodie Friends Friday.