Eggplant Chips with Honey and Goat Cheese
This dish features a tower of crisp fried eggplant chips drizzled with honey and topped with crumbled goat cheese, strawberries, cucumber, and fresh mint.
Equipment
- 1 Candy Thermometer
- 1 spider or large slotted spoon
- 1 mandolin
Ingredients
- 2 Chinese eggplants sliced thin on a mandolin
- 5-7 strawberries sliced into medallions
- 2-3 mini cucumbers sliced thin on mandolin
- 4-6 cups neutral oil for frying
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ cups cold sparkling water **
- 3 tbsp honey
- 70g (2.5oz) goat cheese crumbled
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
- fresh mint leaves for sprinkling
Instructions
- Arrange the sliced eggplant on a large baking sheet and sprinkle them with a little salt. Set the eggplant aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.2 Chinese eggplants
- Once all the ingredients are prepped, pour the oil into a heavy bottom pot and place over high heat. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it registers between 350 - 375°F. ***4-6 cups neutral oil
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour and the salt. Pour in the sparkling water and whisk until no lumps remain.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp kosher salt, 1½ cups cold sparkling water **
- Grab a handful of the eggplant slices and place them in the batter. Give them a swish to ensure they're coated and add them one by one to the oil until you have about 12 in the pot at once. Fry until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the slices from the oil using a spider and transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Keep in a low 150° F oven. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
- Once all the eggplant is fried, arrange them on a platter to form a tower. Drizzle the eggplant with the honey and top with the goat cheese, strawberries, and cucumber. Garnish with sesame seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.5-7 strawberries, 2-3 mini cucumbers, 3 tbsp honey, 70g (2.5oz) goat cheese, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, fresh mint leaves
Notes
** You can also use a light lager for this.
***Try to hold the oil's temperature within this window throughout the frying process.