Fried Eggplant - {Melanzane Fritte}

By á-170456

Ingredients

• TOMATO BRUSCHETTE:
• 1 pound eggplant stems and ends
• removed, cut 1/4"-thick half moons
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 3 ripe tomatoes cut large dice
• 12 basil leaves cut into ribbons
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove finely minced
• Salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• Crusty Italian bread sliced 1/2" thick, and grilled

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Dredge the eggplant in the flour and bat against hand to remove excess. Dip in the egg, turning to completely coat. Dip in the bread crumbs, coating completely.

In a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil until just smoking. Add the butter and heat until it foams and subsides. Cook the eggplant in the pan, turning so that both sides are uniformly dark golden brown. Remove from the pan, season with salt and pepper and drain briefly on a plate lined with paper towels. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and serve immediately with Tomato Bruschette.

For the Tomato Bruschette: Combine tomatoes, basil, olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on top of grilled bread.

This recipe yields 6 servings.