Chef Nathan Davenport of restaurant Balao shares his summer recipe for fried eggplant with goat cheese topped with a citrus vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 2 Japanese eggplants
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 quarts vegetable oil
- 2 cups Wondra flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 ounces goat cheese
- 4 tablespoons Holy Smoke honey
- 2 sprigs lemon thyme
- Citrus Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
At least 4 hours before serving, peel the eggplant and slice horizontally into ¼-inch rounds. Mix whole milk and buttermilk and submerge the eggplant in the mixture, making sure all the eggplant is completely covered. Soak for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
In a fryer or frying pan, heat oil to 350°. Strain the eggplant and dredge in flour; let sit in the flour for 5 minutes. Remove eggplant from flour and tap off excess. Drop eggplant into fryer and let cook on each side for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Season each piece with salt and pepper and place on serving dish. Garnish with goat cheese, smoked honey and lemon thyme. Top with citrus vinaigrette.
For the vinaigrette:
Combine all ingredients for citrus vinaigrette together and whisk until well incorporated, set aside.
Serves 6
Recipe by Chef Nathan Davenport
