Day 47 - Fried eggplants

I've been frying much lately, and I think it's time to stop. Spring has vanished in the past few days and instead, summer has arrived in town. I already need to think, do and plan like it's summertime. Like, shielding windows after lunch, making cold lemonade and most of all - storing away winter clothes and shoes and digging out summer flip flops. Can't decide if this is good or not. I mean, if it is like this in April, what is going to be in August?

We had lunch on the balcony today, not because it was so pretty outside (it was actually not, the sun was burning!), but because the rooms were too hot from cleaning and cooking. At least there was some wind outdoors.

I also have been cleaning out the freezer from old leftovers to make room for our ice-cream maker. Oh yes, it's ice-cream time tomorrow! I have one of those machines that you need to freeze the container for at least 18 hours prior to ice-cream making, so it's going to spend the night in the freezer and tomorrow in go some vanilla soy cream and wild blueberries that we have picked last summer in the woods. While cleaning I also found some breaded eggplants, just waiting to be put to good use.

FRIED EGGPLANTS
Serves: 2

1 big italian (purple) eggplant
pinch of salt
flour
eggs (or egg replacement)
breadcrumbs
frying oil

Wash the eggplants and slice them thinly. Sprinkle each slice with salt and let it rest for at least 20 minutes, so the eggplants release the bitter fluids. Drain.

Prepare breading: a dish for flour, 1 dish for beaten eggs, 1 dish for breadcrumbs. Place eggplant slices first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, each time cover the slices completely.

In a frying pan heat the oil until hot. Fry eggplant slices in oil from both sides, then place on kitchen paper to drain the oil. Serve hot with a side of salad.

Did you know?
You can actually prepare your eggplants prior to cooking and freeze them. Just do the whole procedure, slice, salt, drain, bread, put in a freezer bag or container and freeze away. When you need them, but have no time to make them fresh, just take them out from the freezer and straight into the frying pan.