Breaded Eggplant Cutlets Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak eggplant before cooking? ›

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

Place the breaded slices of eggplant into the refrigerator for at least an hour to help set the bread crumbs before frying. I find that when I bread and fry immediately, I lose some of the breading, but if I let the breading set in the fridge, more of it sticks to whatever I'm frying.

Modern eggplant has had bitterness nearly bred out of it, so many cooks have given up the practice. Salting the slices for eggplant Parmesan is not to prevent bitter flavors, but to season the eggplant itself and, at least in my experience, keep the eggplant from sucking up too much of the olive oil from frying.

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Heat 1/4 inch of grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until hot enough for frying. The ideal temperature for frying eggplant is about 365-375 degrees F. The best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer; or, you can drop a small piece of bread into the oil.

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, "Do you peel eggplant before cooking?" is yes, peel it. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin.

Typically eggplant behaves like a sponge, soaking up heroic amounts of oil when fried. The Terzo Piano chefs use this trick to prevent heavy aubergines: Before frying, soak the strips of eggplant in an ice water bath. They will absorb water and drop in temperature.

To get the best results, you'll want to fire up the oven, grill, or stovetop before freezing eggplant. Because of its high water content, eggplant doesn't freeze well raw. It benefits from being cooked (even just partially) first.

It's always best to eat the fried eggplant as soon as it is made, but if you do have leftovers be sure to place in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or low oven.

Can dogs eat eggplant? ›

Is Eggplant Good for Dogs? Eggplant is rich in fiber and antioxidants. A small amount of plain, cooked eggplant is fine to share with your pooch and can even be a good way to boost their fiber intake. Eggplant contains essential nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like potassium and manganese.

To magically remove the bitterness from the eggplant and greatly improve the texture, soak the eggplant in milk overnight. Once the slices of eggplant have taken a long, luxurious, milky bath, they are tenderized and primed for frying. Simply tap off the extra moisture, dust the eggplant slices with sea salt and flour.

However, eggplants also contain a substance, solanine, which is used to defend themselves against fungi and insects. It is precisely on this substance that the bitter taste of the eggplants depends. To eliminate it, the most common methods are soaking in water and vinegar and the salt technique.

Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness. This step also helps preserve some of the skin's color so it stays a vibrant purple even after cooking.

Slice or chop the eggplant. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Transfer to a colander over a plate and set aside for 30 minutes to drain. This draws out the bitter juices.

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, "Do you peel eggplant before cooking?" is yes, peel it. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin.