Breaded Eggplant with Baby Arugula and Parmigiano

This recipe is taken from ‘Whole Living’ magazine and it was so delicious that I feel compelled to share it with all 8 of you who read my blog!

The thick cutlet of eggplant, in this recipe, makes a great vegetarian version of a
chicken or veal cutlet – similar to how a Portobello mushroom makes a good
vegetarian burger.  However, rather than use a large eggplant, I used smaller Asian eggplants, because this is what I have growing in my garden.  I tend to shy away from large eggplant – in my opinion, they develop a  ‘woody’ texture with too many seeds, and they tend to become bitter if they are too large.  I sliced the eggplant thinner than what is called for in the recipe as well. Other than that, I followed the recipe almost to the letter. I always feel the need to tweak the seasonings to suit my palate, so I added a bit of smoked paprika (pimenton) and some lemon zest, as well as a drizzle of olive oil to finish off the dish.

Fortunately, I still had some arugula left in the garden as well – unfortunately, I had allowed it to go to seed, so I picked off what I could.  Please, I beg of you (!), don’t substitute another lettuce for this. The peppery bite of arugula so perfectly complements the creamy sweetness of the eggplant; and with the lemon, it just makes the whole dish sing!

This is so delicious in its simplicity. I challenge anyone who thinks that they don’t like eggplant to try and resist the deliciousness of this dish. I think it makes a really wonderful light lunch or a nice starter or side dish for a seasonal summer
dinner enjoyed al fresco. It is best enjoyed right away, but my leftovers made
a great lunch the next day.

Buon appetito!

Breaded Eggplant with Baby Arugula and Parmigiano

1 large eggplant cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices (I used several smaller eggplant, sliced about ½-inch-thick)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Smoked paprika (pimenton)

¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour

1 large egg, whisked with 1 Tbsp water

2 cups panko or coarse homemade plain breadcrumbs

1 cup olive oil, for frying, plus a few Tablespoons for drizzling

2 cups baby arugula, rinsed and drained

¼ cup shaved Parmigiano cheese (I used a veggie peeler)

Organic lemon, cut into wedges, zest a bit for finishing, if desired

Arrange eggplant in a large colander and season both sides generously with salt. The salt will draw out moisture, so put the colander in the sink, or in a larger bowl. (I placed a wire cooling rack in a large cookie sheet and arranged my eggplant slices flat.)  Let sit for 30 minutes, then use paper towel/cotton kitchen towel to wipe off salt and moisture from the slices; make sure to pat dry.

Arrange 3 shallow bowls side by side and put flour into the first, egg into the second and panko/crumbs into the third. Dip each eggplant slice into flour, turn to coat and shake off excess; repeat with egg and then with panko/crumbs.  Let finished slices rest on a piece of waxed paper while you heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet (oil should be ½-inch deep) over medium heat.

Fry eggplant in batches, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with a bit of salt and pepper and smoked
paprika.

Plate the eggplant and top with baby arugula and shaved Parmigiano. Squeeze lemon wedge over all and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit more fresh black pepper, salt, smoked paprika and zest. Offer more pepper and lemon wedges for additional flavoring.

Serve immediately.