Fried Eggplant

"After years of appearing on American dinner tables mostly as an ethnic specialty (as eggplant parmigiana, say, or maybe in a Szechuan-style stir-fry), eggplant has arrived as a mainstream food in this country." Saveur Magazine,1994. Anyway you cook it, I love it. This way it is so delicious! This can be an appetizer, side or the entire meal - that is the way I like it.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  cup flour
• 1 1⁄4 cups white wine
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2  medium eggplants, thinly sliced into rounds
•  vegetable oil
• 1  lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Place flour in a shallow bowl.
2. Whisk wine into flour, beating until batter is smooth and the consistency of thin pancake batter, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat oven to 200°F
4. Salt or freeze eggplant slices to lessen bitterness and remove excess moisture.
5. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of 2".
6. Heat oil to 375°F or until it sizzles when you drop in a little batter. (If oil isn't hot enough, eggplant will absorb too much of it.)
7. Dip eggplant slices in batter, then place into oil—as many at a time as you can without crowding the pan.
8. Fry until golden, cooking on both sides, then drain on paper towels.
9. Keep fried slices warm in oven.
10. When all eggplant slices are cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon.