Fry-Day: Eggplant Edition

I'm embarrassed that these pins exist. Get a life people!

Recently, I’ve become enthralled by the idea of Reverse Food Psychology. Yes, I just made that word up, but I think it perfectly describes the fact that we can trick ourselves into thinking we’re eating healthy by subbing out different ingredients. For instance, by cutting veggies into the shape of a potato chip, we can fool our puny little brains that we’re eating a lovely crisp Lays potato chip instead of a nasty dehydrated beet. See also gross vegan food like the Tofurky, Quorn dogs, and Nayonaise.

In the August issue of Bon Appetite, one of the first featured recipes was for eggplant fries. My first thought was. “Yes! Time to fry something again!” I used to be afraid of frying things. I thought I needed a legit fryer with a basket and weird temperature pluggy thing, much like my dad had back when Wednesday nights at the Dumas house used to be Fried Food Wednesday. My mom used to take a night class in Boston every Wednesday for a few years running. So every Wednesday, Dad would load up on seafood and potatoes, and we would have a virtual assembly line of egg wash, flour mix, and fryer; sort of like a mini McDonald's! If it was not for the fact that I was a slave to the ballet barre for most of my young life, I probably would have resembled Augustus Gloop. I still remember Dad yelling, “Close the doors upstairs!” so that our bed linens wouldn’t reek of fried scallops and shrimp. Ahhh, those were the days!

So as you can imagine, in the absence of a real fryer and in the interest of saving myself from the inevitable grease fire, I used to bake everything. One day I was brave, or maybe drunk, and decided that maybe if I just used a deep deep pan, I could fry like the best of them. Well, it’s true. You don’t need a real fryer. Just don’t put the oil up too high and get ready for an occasional grease spatter and you'll be A-OK. Also, I never got around to buying any sort of meat thermometer (to make sure the oil is at the optimal temp), but I usually just wait till I think the oil is probably hot enough- let's call it oil intuition. Then I throw some water into the pot and if it starts really sizzling, it's time to fry!

So back to the idea of reverse food psychology. Upon seeing this recipe for eggplant fries, I wondered if a veggie cut into a fry shape would approach the greatness of the standard potato fry? Or was Bon Appetite trying to pull a gourmet fast one? Well for all those people who are partial to the equation of veggies = instant healthy + I can stuff my face with this food - you’ll want to remember that for this recipe, you still use actual oil to fry these (there is no disgusting, um, I mean clever substitution for that!). Even prior to reading that the flour used to dust the eggplant was in fact RICE FLOUR (aka the gluten free holy grail), I was doing cartwheels in my kitchen; eggplant and fries are in the Emily version of “These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things…” Another favorite Emily song: "How Do You Solve a Problem like Celiac Disease?". So long story short, it was go time, and the next day I picked up a gorgeous aubergine at the local farmer’s market.

Soaking eggplant like it's my job

My one gripe about this recipe (or perhaps the blame should be placed on my horrible short term memory because I totally forgot about this crucial step until I went to make these) was that you have to soak the eggplant F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Ok, so maybe 2 hours isn’t forever, but when you’re so hungry that you find yourself eating the gross dehydrated fruit from this trail-mix somebody left in your work pantry- it seems like an eternity! The whole idea behind soaking the eggplant is that eggplant works like a sponge. Frying without soaking would mean the eggplant would suck up all the oil, making a greasy oil mess. By soaking the eggplant in water, you presaturate, so once frying commences, the eggplant does not take the grease in, and therefore it is just the outside that gets a nice oil/crispy coating! Other than the eons of prep time, this recipe is quite easy. I used my deep pasta pot to fry the eggplant in, which certainly increased the risk of a rapid grease fire engulfing my kitchen, but alas nobody died! The cats are still alive!

my cauldron of oil

I did however find that you have to use a lot of salt to really make the flavor come out. The lemon juice at the end was crucial, as it gave some nice acidity to balance out the fried crunchy texture. Also, I wasn’t in love with the dipping sauce so….we broke up! HA, just kidding, I don’t REALLY date yogurt but I just didn’t think it added a ton to this. I’m kind of anti-dip when it masks things instead of adds to the overall enjoyment. And, I didn’t have any za’atar but made a nice spice combo with whatever I found in my pantry, which at this moment is cumin, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes. You can call me the 6th Spice Girl aka Low Maintenance Spice.

frites of aubergine...complete!

The recipe delivered as promised; crispy on the outside, yummy tender eggplant on the inside. True to form, I convinced myself that I was eating veggies and devoured nearly the whole batch! Mazel Tov!

Eggplant Fries
Courtesy of Bon Appetite, August 2011


Dipping sauce:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped kosher pickle or pickle relish
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Fries:
1 1-pound eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2" rounds, then into 1/2"-thick strips
Vegetable oil (for frying)
1 cup rice flour
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons za'atar or your own creative spice pantry concoction
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more for seasoning

Ingredient Info:

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that includes sumac, herbs, and sesame seeds. It's available at specialty foods stores, Middle Eastern markets, and igourmet.com

For dipping sauce:Whisk yogurt, chopped pickle, lemon zest, and oregano in a small bowl to blend. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

For fries:Place eggplant in a large bowl. Add 2 cups ice and enough water to cover. Place a plate on top of eggplant to weigh it down. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

Pour oil into a large deep pot to a depth of 2". Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of pot and heat oil over medium heat to 325°F.

Meanwhile, whisk rice flour, lemon zest, za'atar or your own spice mix, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon sea salt in a medium bowl to blend. Drain eggplant. Working in batches, toss damp eggplant in flour mixture to coat.

Working in batches, fry eggplant, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes per batch. (Reheat oil to 325°F between batches.) Transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with lemon juice and sea salt. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.