Ratatouille Tower
Written by Rachel, Posted in Thoughts
So you know eggplant, right? I just discovered something amazing about it. I know I can’t be the first. You probably already know this. But just in case you don’t, I have to tell you something… it is delicious when it’s fried!
I’ve made Ratatouille plenty of times. It’s a great dish. I also love eggplant with some fresh pasta and lots of garlic. But, the other day I was kinda craving something with a little more crunch.
I fried the eggplant, guys. All it took was a quick dip in some egg and then in some seasoned flour. A little oil in a hot skillet crisps ’em up real quick. The other veggies that you’d normally see in a Ratatouille: bell pepper, summer squash, onion, and tomato, they’re left raw. Then for even more crunch, I toasted a few slices of bread.
Dig in!
Happy Eating!
Fried Eggplant Ratatouille
Last modified on 2013-07-11 20:05:16 GMT. 2 comments. Top.
- 1 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced 1/2″ thick
- salt (for eggplant)
- 1 to 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/2 to 1 C AP flour
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- pinch cayenne
- olive oil, for frying
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/4 C red onion, diced
- 1 summer squash, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 t thyme
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- pinch cayenne
- 1/2 t honey
- 1-2 T lemon juice
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 t dijon mustard
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 thin slices of bread
- 1 ball mozzarella, in large chunks
- fresh basil, chopped, for topping
- Pre-heat oven to 200F. Place a baking sheet with a cooling rack in the middle in the oven.
- Sprinkle eggplant generously with salt. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to draw out some of the moisture (reducing bitterness). Rinse and pat dry.
- Whisk together garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes.
- Combine bell pepper, onion, tomato, and summer squash with dressing.
- Toast bread.
- Mix flour with a bit of salt, pepper, and cayenne. Heat skillet and add oil. Dip eggplant in egg then in flour. When oil is hot, add eggplant to skillet and cook over medium to medium high heat for a few minutes on each side (they’re done when they’re crispy and slightly browned). Place cooked eggplants on the cooling rack on the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.
- Top 2 slices of eggplant with a piece of bread, mozzarella, some of the veggie mixture, 2 more slices of eggplant, bread, mozzarella, and veggies. Top with fresh basil.
First of all, fried eggplant is amazing. Actually, as long as it’s cooked well, any eggplant is my favorite. And my favorite favorite food is ratatouille, so much so that I’m going to be making it for myself for my birthday this Friday.
So fun!! I’m discovering more and more that I do in fact like things like eggplant and beets. Like you said, when things are cooked well it makes a huge difference. Hope you have the most lovely birthday!!