I did not like eggplant at all until I met my husband. My mother never made it because she was not a fan. I think it was because she didn’t know how to make it. My husband taught me to sprinkle it with salt and let it sit for a while because it draws out any bitterness. Some people do not like eggplant because they think it has a bitter taste. Problem solved! Now I love eggplant, and I certainly love fried eggplant!
Ingredients
1-2 medium eggplants, peeled
Salt for sprinkling on the eggplant
Coconut flour, start with 2 cups and use more if needed
Eggs, slightly beaten, start with 5 and use more if needed
Almond flour, start with 2 cups and use more if needed
2 Tbsp. seasoned salt
2 tsp. cayenne
Oil for frying
Instructions
Place the peeled and sliced eggplant in a large colander. Sprinkle generously with a lot of salt and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 30 minutes in the sink where it can drain. You could place the colander on a plate as an alternative to placing it in he sink. The salt extracts any bitter liquid from the eggplant.
After 30 minutes, rinse the eggplant thoroughly. Allow to drain and pat dry. I spread out the eggplant on some baking sheets lined with paper towels. It is easier to pat dry on a flat surface to pick up excess moisture.
Heat a large pot filled 3/4 full with oil. Heat while gathering your ingredients.
Gather three pie plates or flat plates. In one pie plate, place the coconut flour. In the second pie plate place the slightly beaten eggs. In the last pie plate, place the almond flour and seasoning.
Test the hot oil to see if it is ready for frying by dropping a little almond flour into the oil. If it sizzles, it is ready for frying. When the eggplant is dry. dredge it in the coconut flour. The coconut flour will only lightly cover the eggplant. After dredging in the coconut flour, cover the eggplant slice in the egg.; then, dredge in the almond flour. Press the almond flour gently into the eggplant. Drop the eggplant into the hot oil. Repeat with a few more eggplant slices. Fry the eggplant in batches about 4-5 at a time.
Now, this is the important part. When the eggplant is frying on one side, don’t touch it! This is a difficult temptation, but trust me on this. Don’t touch it until that side is golden. Deep frying with almond flour is precarious. Do not touch it before it adheres because it will break apart. When it is ready to turn to fry on the other side, use a skewer to flip it over gently. The skewer is thin enough to touch it so that it does not break apart with the flip. The almond coating is very delicate at this stage. This is the trick to mastering deep frying when using an almond flour breading.
When both sides of the eggplant are golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the oil. Do not use tongs. Tongs will damage the coating. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
After all the eggplant is fried, give it a sprinkling of salt before serving.
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