Fried Eggplant Recipe
If you give a Southern an eggplant
She’ll probably look at you funny.
But she’ll take it just the same because a Southern lady hates to be rude.
She’ll turn it around and admire it’s color and shape…until you tell her it is a vegetable.
Once she realizes it is a vegetable..she’ll ooh and ahh…
Then, she’s gonna want to fry it.
SO
She’ll ask you for some oil and a skillet
You’ll get vegetable oil and your best cast iron…Seeing the cast iron will remind her of fried green tomatoes.
Thinking of fried green tomatoes will make her want to bread the eggplant just like them
She’s gonna need some corn meal
And a little salt and pepper.
Once she has those, she’ll put them in a bowl and give them a good stir. Stirring them up will remind her of cooking with her grandmother when she was a girl and how her grandmother used to love a glass of cold buttermilk….
She’ll probably ask you for some.
Once you get her the buttermilk, she’ll pour some in a bowl
And carefully slice the eggplant…now it doesn’t look so strange to her anymore.
Slicing the eggplant will make her think of eating, thinking of eating will make her think of being thirsty.
She’s gonna want some sweet tea. ….
You’ll go to look for tea bags but discover that you’re out. You’ll have to go to the store. She’ll wanna to go with you.
At the store, She’ll smile and wave at everyone who glances your way. Being this sociable will make her lots of friends. She’ll start to worry that her new friends are hungry and invite them to eat with you.
One of the new friends will be from up north – that will make her think of all they are missing out on. You’ll have to buy some Moon Pies, Pioneer Brand, Milo’s Tea, and pork skins so she can make them welcome baskets.
Once you get home, She’ll ask you to put the tea on while she gets back to cooking for everyone…
She’ll need to pour some oil in the skillet to heat.
Heating the skillet will make her think of summers in Alabama and fields full of blooming cotton.
She’ll get homesick and want you to sing Dixie.
Singing Dixie will take too long because she knows all the verses…the oil will start to smoke.
You’ll have to rush back to the kitchen. Rushing will make you hungrier and tummies will start to growl.
This Southern lady will remember her eggplant and go back to cooking.
She’ll dip each slice in buttermilk
and then in the cornmeal mixture.
And place them in the oil.
She will brown them up real good and make sure to turn them before they burn.
One they are browned on both sides, she’ll remove them to a paper towel lined plate.
Seeing the paper towels will remind the belle of how far we have all come and how fortunate we are to have such modern luxuries. She’ll want to sit down and give thanks before eating.
Once you are done eating, she’ll want to take the scraps outside to feed the critters, you’ll have to take her to the back yard.
While walking outside, she’ll pass your garden bursting forth with vegetables. Her eyes will get big as dollars and she’ll want to pick them.
SO
you’ll get her a basket and tell her to help herself.
She’ll pick tomatoes first, then cucumbers, working her way down to zucchini…eventually, she’ll get to eggplants.
You’ll pick the biggest one and hand it to her with pride.
And chances are, if you give a Southern lady an eggplant,…
She’s gonna want to fry it.
Ingredients
- 1 C Cornmeal
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 C buttermilk
- 2 or 3 medium eggplants
Instructions
- Pour oil to 1/4" depth in skillet. Place on medium heat while you prepare eggplant.
- Place dry ingredients in bowl, stir to combine (Can add a little cayenne if you like). In separate bowl, pour buttermilk. Slice eggplant. Dip each slice in buttermilk and then in meal. Place in hot oil and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides. Remove to paper towel lined plate. Serve hot, with Ranch dressing to dip in, if desired.
I am laughing so hard right now, because that is the way I first made it too, without having looked at any recipes. Although, I used an egg wash. Later on, I used these little fried slices. and made little stacks with marinara and italian cheese, put them in a baking dish, and melted the cheese. Great recipe!
Oooh like eggplant parmigiana!Yum!!
That does sound good!
I just gotta get past my old hangup of marinara belonging on ground beef and noodles! lol
ooey gooey, cheesey eggplant sounds divine though!
Thank you!
christy 🙂
Oh Christy I do love eggplants. Took me almost 24 years to realize that! I never ate it as a child. I don’t think I even tried it once when my mum cooked it because I assumed it would taste terrible and now i’m all over it!
First time I ever ate it was a time that I went out to dinner with my mum and brother they ordered an eggplant dish. Since then I can’t get enough.
Have you ever heard it called an eggfruit though? Lol
I saw it written on the sign when I went shopping and thought it was the funniest thing. An eggfruit! At least aubergine is acceptable but eggfruit. Lol
Hey!
I’ve never heard it called that, either! That is kind of a cute name though!
I dont know if any restaurants around my parts serve eggplant, I’ll have to look into that!!!
I’m SO EXCITED to get to meet you and your Mom!!! or…wait…mum! lol
Look at me, speakin’ that thar Awstralian and everythin’!
~giggles~
I’m so excited too!!!!!! Just over 2 weeks to go!
This was cute!
Just like a Belle!
I saw you not TV last week and you were just like your tutorials! I like the little stories.
Have a wonderful day!
Hey Teri!!!
Thank you SO MUCH for watching! I’ve been wondering how I come across on TV and hoping it would be close to the same way I come across in writing so I really appreciate your feedback (and sure am glad it was positive! lol).
I hope you have a fabulous week, Teri in Hartselle!!!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
I’m a Mississippi boy who’s spent half his 82 years in Texas exile. I cook a lot and I LOVE you. Keep the cute commentary coming.
I challenge you to cook greens right. Or even bigger, poke salad—if you know what they are. I didn’t in MS but it’s po’ folks food in Texas. (Warning: they can poison you if you don’t know how to cook them.)
I know all about poke salad! I remember driving my grandmother home one day and she saw some on the side of the road and I had to pull over so she could pick it. She went home and fried it up with some eggs for us and it was good eating for sure! I dearly love greens and I usually cook them the old fashioned way but I also have two other ways I can make em, too, when I want them a little quicker. I’m so glad to have you here, Bob, and appreciate your positive attitude and support!
Cute post Christy. Now if only I liked eggplant. It is one of my favorite shades of purple though.
hehe
I had never had eggplant until a couple of years ago. Had never had squash until about ten years ago!
I found that I like my eggplant fried. I’m not big on eggplant Parmesan, Every time I do something different with marinara sauce it just feels like I should be eating it on top of ground beef and noodles! lol
But hey, at least the like the color, right?
🙂
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Fry it, you’ll like it!
Very cute! I enjoyed reading your post, and now I want to try some eggplant!
Thank you! It’s always fun to just play every now and then 🙂
the eggplant tastes a lot like fried green tomatoes, just without the twang 🙂
gratefully,
Christy 🙂
I agree with Emily…very cute post and you do look wonderful. 🙂
~blushes deeply~ Yall are too good to me! Thank you so much!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
This is a cute post! 🙂 I love your hair, you look wonderful! 😉
Thankyou so much, Emily!! I have my hair guru Daniel to thank for doing it. I just said “Make me look human” :).
Bless his heart, then he had to teach me how to fix it! Lol
I’m just destined to be frumpy, but I’m pretty cool with that!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂