Kitchen and Culture

Our cookbook, My Louisiana Kitchen, will ship in time for Christmas. Order your copy today, plus, it makes a great gift for the foodie on your list! https://louisiana.kitchenandculture.com/cookbook-order

Susan here; Here's how I fry eggplant. In this recipe, it's for cubed eggplant, but I also use it for sliced eggplant. I usually let the eggplant drain, salted and weighted, for at least an hour; I get a really meaty texture that way. This is totally lifted from how I fry green tomato slices, shrimp, crawfish tails, etc. So a fusion of my southern American cuisine and my husband's Italian heritage.
Fried Eggplant Bites
1 large eggplant

salt

½ cup hot pepper vinegar

vegetable oil for frying

¾ cup Seasoned Flour (see below), in all

2 eggs, well whisked

2 tablespoons buttermilk

½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

minced parsley, finely grated Parmesan, for garnish

warm marinara sauce, for serving

Trim eggplants and slice lengthwise into planks about ¾ inch thick. Sprinkle generously on both sides with kosher salt and place on a rack over a sink or rimmed baking sheet; top with another (clean) baking sheet and weight (several cans of food, a skillet, etc.); set aside for 30 minutes to drain. Rinse and pat dry, then cut into ¾ inch cubes; toss with hot pepper vinegar and set aside for 15 minutes.
Pour the cooking oil to a depth of 2 inches in a deep skillet or saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and heat to 365ºF.
Drain eggplant and toss with ¼ cup of the Seasoned Flour, coating on all sides.
Combine the egg, buttermilk, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Combine the panko and remaining ½ cup flour in another shallow bowl. When the oil is hot, working in batches, dip the eggplant in the egg mixture, allow excess to drain, then toss in panko mixture. Carefully drop into hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spatula to transfer to a wire rack to drain. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan and serve hot, with marinara for dipping.

Makes about 4 servings.

Pantry Staple: Seasoned Flour
You’ll find yourself reaching for this well-seasoned flour any time you’re going to deep-fry anything, but it also makes a tasty binding agent in meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, etc. Just remember that it will add salt, so adjust your recipe accordingly.
¼ cup kosher salt

¼ cup paprika (not hot)

¼ cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons granulated onion

4 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

2 cups plain flour
Combine salt, paprika, cornstarch, granulated onion, black pepper, granulated garlic, and cayenne. Whisk into flour. Store in a tightly covered container, refrigerated or in a cool, dark spot, for up to 3 months.

Makes about 3 cups.

Since the New Year Diet doesn’t start until Ash Wednesday here in Louisiana, we have cinnamon rolls on the rise this coolish afternoon.

Here's a menu for health, luck, and prosperity in the new year!

Menu for a Healthy, Lucky, and Prosperous New Year Louisiana Kitchen & Culture's Guide to Ringing In 2021

If you have a ham bone hanging around after the holidays, we suggest this Ham Bone Soup. It's delicious.

Here's another Instant Pot use that we're totally in love with: Stone ground grits/polenta taste SO much better than the quick-cooking version, but take at least 45 minutes of actively tending on the stovetop. Game changer. 1 part grits/polenta to 5 parts liquid; add butter, garlic, cheese, herbs, etc to taste. Mix in a heat-proof bowl that will fit in the IP liner without touching the sides, put a trivet in the bottom of the pot and add a cup of water. Put the bowl of grits/polenta on the trivet, seal, and set to cook under high pressure for 15 minutes, and let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Perfect every time. Doesn't save much start to finish time, but it's completely hands-off.

Check out the FREE August 2020 digital edition of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture! Lots of great recipes inside.

Louisiana Kitchen & Culture August 2020

It's hot here in New Orleans this weekend. This cool, refreshing, yet substantial salad is definitely on the dinner menu!
https://tinyurl.com/Beef-Noodle-Salad

Make this yummy Creole Tomato Pizza Pie! The recipe is in the June 2020 edition of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture: https://tinyurl.com/Creole-Tomato