Ingredients
Eggplant:
3 small or 2 medium Eggplant
2/3 cups Flour
2 Eggs
1 ½ cups Panko
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
¼ tsp. Onion Powder
½ tsp. Italian Seasoning
2 – 4 cups Vegetable or Canola Oil (Amount of oil will depend on pan size and depth)
Caponata:
2 stalks Celery
1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
3 cloves minced Garlic
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes3 Tbsp. Golden Raisins
1/4 cup hot Water
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp. Capers
14.5 oz. Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
3 Basil leaves
2 Tbsp. Butter
Salt
Pepper
❃❃ Serves 6-8❃❃
Preparation
Preheat oven to 200 and top a cookie sheet with a cooling rack. Medium chop celery, finely chop onion and
chop garlic. Chiffonade basil, drain capers and slice eggplant on a long diagonal
bias. Mix together garlic powder, onion
powder, Italian seasoning and panko.
Add raisins to hot water and set aside. Once raisins have plumped drain
water.
Eggplant
Dredge each piece of eggplant in the flour, then the egg and finally in the
panko mixture. Heat oil in a cast iron
pan or in a heavy bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven to 350. Add 5 – 6 pieces of eggplant at a time, cook
on one side until browned, turn over and brown on the other side and remove to the
cooling rack. If not serving right away
keep warm in the oven for up to 45 minutes.
Caponata
Add 2 Tbsp. butter to a skillet on medium high heat. Add celery, onion,
red pepper flakes, pinch of salt and pinch of pepper. Sautee for a couple
of minutes. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Turn heat to high and
add stock. Cook for a minute to reduce. Add capers, drained raisins
and fire roasted tomatoes. Once all vegies are slightly soft and the
liquid has reduced remove from heat and add basil. Season with salt and
pepper to taste.
Assemble
Add caponata to a serving dish and serve with fried eggplant.