Question about cooking Eggplant.?

Question

I am going to make eggplant parmesan, but I have a question about frying it. Is there anything I need to do to it before I fry it or does anyone have any suggestions for the breading or anything?

Answer 1

Lorie is right. You need to salt it to draw out some of the water. Also, keep in mind, it will use up an extraordinary amount of oil when frying. It is just one of the characteristics of eggplant. These days, I opt for baking at a high temp instead.

Answer 2

there's a way to "dry" it out before you prepare it.

put the sliced eggplant on paper towels and sprinkle it with salt. kosher salt works best (because it's bigger grains) but regular salt works too. let it sit for ten or 15 minutes and then wipe it off, flip it over and do the other side. basically, the salt draws out some of the moisture and makes it cook up better.

then i whisk up an egg or two with some salt and pepper. dip the egg plant into the egg, then into some seasoned bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese and then pan fry on both sides until brown and crispy. afterwards, i spoon some sauce on each piece and sprinkle them with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese with some "italian blend" seasonings (parsley, oregano, etc)... then put it under the broiler til the cheese melts. the seasonings will makeit look extra tasty!!!

once, i tried a healthier baked version that was just okay, but if you're interested, you can preheat the oven to 400 and use that spray oil that you normally use for baking sheets or cupcake tins. anyways, spray the slices of eggplant, cover with bread crumbs and bake for ten minutes or until brown and crispy. they aren't as great as the fried kind, but if you're trying to be super healthy, it'll do!

Answer 3

This is what I do...I salt it and put on tray in refrigerator, for a couple of hours. The salting takes out the excess liquid. I dont mean cover it with salt, but enough. Take it off the tray and pat it dry with paper towels. Then dip in egg and then your breading mixture. Have the oil hot in the pan, and fry away.

Answer 4

When I make it I dip it in a little egg wash (an egg beaten with a tablespoon or so of water) then dip in panko breadcrumbs, but regular seasoned bread crumbs are great also.

sometimes I marinate it and grill in instead of frying also. Very good in an italian dressing and fresh basil marinade.

Answer 5

you should slice your eggplant then soak in salt water for about 15 min or so then pat dry and then beat an egg and dip eggplant in that then in the bread crumbs.

Answer 6

Use what ever is your favorite breading. I dip mine in an egg wash first then bread it. Fry as usual. Sounds really good. I haven't had that for awhile.

Answer 7

Here's a recipe that walks you through how to bread and fry it up:

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: How To Boil Water
Episode: Veggie Delight

Spicy Tomato Sauce:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons capers, drained
2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano), crushed by hand
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, hand torn
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds medium eggplants, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Romano
2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese


First make the sauce: Put a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the olives, red pepper flakes, and capers, and let that cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Toss in the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, and oregano in a shallow bowl; season generously with salt and pepper and mix well. Crack 3 of the eggs into another shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper and beat with a fork to mix. Put the flour in another shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the eggplant, flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs on a work surface near the stove.

Heat about 1/4-inch olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, dredge several eggplant slices first in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and finally coat them in the bread crumbs. Put as many eggplant in the skillet as will fit comfortably in a single layer and cook until tender and well browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Cook all of the eggplant slices this way, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.

Stir together the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano cheese. Stir in the basil and remaining 2 eggs, and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To assemble the dish, first get yourself set up with a large, buttered baking dish. Have ready the eggplant, the ricotta mixture, the tomato sauce, the shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano. To start, spoon some of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Now add a layer of eggplant. Spread with half of the ricotta mixture. Spoon another layer of tomato sauce over and sprinkle with about one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat with a layer of eggplant, the rest of the ricotta, tomato sauce, and another third of the mozzarella. Finish with the rest of the eggplant, the rest of the tomato sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella. Sprinkle with the 3/4 cup Parmigiano.

Put the dish in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, until golden and bubbling. Let stand for about 20 minutes before cutting.