Pan-Fried Eggplant with Tomato Sauce
Portions: 24
Portion Size: 31/2 oz. Eggplant, 2 fl. Oz. Sauce
Per Serving: Calories 260, Protein 7 grams, Fat 13 grams (44% Cal.), Cholesterol 70 mg’s. Carbohydrates 30 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Sodium 490 mg’s.
Ingredients:
Eggplant: 6 ½ lbs.
Breading:
6 oz. Flour
1 ½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. White Pepper
1 pt. Egg Wash
1 ¼ lb. Bread Crumbs
Oil for Frying: As needed.
Procedure:
1. Wash and trim eggplants. Pare if skins are tough. Cut crosswise into ¼” slices.
2. Hold in strongly salted cold water for up to 30 minutes. (This step may be omitted, but it helps prevent darkening and eliminates some bitter flavors.)
3. Set up breading station, seasoning the flour with the salt and pepper.
4. Drain the eggplants and dry them well. Pass through the Standard Breading Procedure. (See Breading Procedure below).
5. Heat 1/4” oil in a heavy iron skillet or sauté pan. Pan-fry the breaded eggplant on both sides until browned. Remove from pan with slotted spatula and drain on absorbent paper.
6. Serve 2-3 slices per portion, depending on size. Nap each portion with 2 fl. Oz. tomato sauce. Ladle the sauce in a band across the eggplant; do not cover completely.
Standard Breading Procedure:
Most foods to be deep-fried with the major exception of potatoes, are first given a protective coating of breading or batter. This coating serves four purposes:
1. It helps retain moisture and flavor in the product.
2. It protects the fat against the moisture and salt in the food, which would speed the deterioration of the frying fat.
3. It protects the food from absorbing too much fat.
4. It gives crispness, flavor, and good appearance to the product.
Breading:Breading means coating a product with bread crumbs or other crumbs or meal before deep-frying, pan-frying, or sautéing. The most widely used method for applying these coatings is called the Standard Breading Procedure.
The Three Stages of the Standard Breeding Procedure:
1. Flour: helps the breading stick to the product.
2. Egg wash: A mixture of eggs and a liquid, usually milk or water. More eggs give greater binding power but increase the cost. A small quantity of oil is occasionally added to the egg wash.
3. Crumbs: Combine with the egg wash to create a crisp, golden coating when fried. Fine, dry bread crumbs are most often used and give good results. Also popular are Japanese-style dry bread crumbs called panko (Japanese for “bread crumbs”. These coarser crumbs give a pleasing texture to fried items. Other products used are fresh bread crumbs, crushed corn flakes or other cereal, cracker meal, and cornmeal.
For small items like scallops or oysters, breading may be done with the aid of a series of wire baskets placed in the flour, egg wash, and crumbs, instead of by hand. The procedure is the same except the baskets are used to lift and shake small quantities of the produce and to transfer them to the next basket.
To keep on hand dry during breading, use your right hand (if you are right-handed; if left-handed, reverse the procedure) only for handling the flour and crumbs. Use your other hand for handling the product when it is wet. In order to keep your dry hand dry, never handle a wet product with that hand.
Variations:
Instead of Standard Breading Procedure, simply dredge slices in seasoned flour and pan-fry.
Pan-Fried Eggplant Creole: Use Creole sauce instead of tomato sauce.
Eggplant Parmigiana: Pan-fry as in the basic recipe, Top each fired slice with a thin slice of mozzarella cheese. Arrange in layers in a baking pan, covering each layer with tomato sauce and sprinkling with parmesan cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
Recipe retrieved from:
Gisslen, Wayne. 2011. Professional Cooking. 7th Edition. Cooking Vegetables: Pan-Fried Eggplant with Tomato Sauce, Pg. 578
Gisslen, Wayne. 2011. Professional Cooking. 7th Edition.Mise En Place: Preparation for Frying., Pg. 152
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