Gluten Free, Baked Parmesan Eggplant Fries
Gluten Free Parmesan Eggplant Fries is a yummy little recipe that I recently developed. Coming from the deep south, battering and deep frying was one of the most common methods used to cook vegetables. FYI – Pickling is probably the next most common method used to preserve and serve vegetables. 😉 Like a good southern girl, my favorite foods were always battered and fried. Of course, I learned how to cook this way as well.
After I moved to the Rockies and later to the Midwest, I began branching out and learning to cook with something other than gallons of oil and a deep fryer. In all honesty, I finally got rid of my deep fryer about seven or eight years ago. I’m much kinder to my body and my kitchen these days and rarely deep fry anything. However, when I get the craving, it may last for a week or two. I probably haven’t even fried french fries in about twenty years.
Growing up, my mom always fried eggplant. I never even heard of things like Eggplant Parmesan until I was an adult. Recently, a friend of mine had an abundance of eggplant and I decided I wanted to try something a bit more healthy. I had no idea if my plan would work, but had a sneak suspicion that it would. The result? Gluten Free, Baked Parmesan Eggplant Fries that are a less messy version of the classic Eggplant Parmesan, while preserving all of those great Italian flavors.
Some may question a couple of the steps in this recipe. The first of which is soaking the eggplant in salt water. Some people only salt the eggplant, but I learned to soak. Either method will provide the same result. The goal is to remove the bitterness from the eggplant. As shown in the pictures of the soaking eggplant, the firs picture shows very little other than the color of the bowl when it is first soaked. The picture on the right shows the result of soaking after four hours. One thing to remember when salting and soaking your eggplant is that the eggplant will absorb some of the salt. This means you won’t need much salt in the recipe. You’ll have to experiment to find what works best for you.
Drying the eggplant will help the coating adhere better to the eggplant. It may also prevent the eggplant from absorbing excess oil when frying. However, oil isn’t a concern at all with the Gluten Free, Baked Parmesan Eggplant Fries, baking assures that they are a much healthier option than deep fried!
- Medium Eggplant
- 2-3 Tbs Salt
- ½ to 1 Tsp Seasoned Salt
- ½ to 1 Tsp Garlic Salt
- 1 Tbs Basil
- 1 Tbs Oregano
- 1 Tbs Parsley
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 2 Med or 1 XL Egg
- ¼ c Buttermilk
- 1 - 1½ c Cornflake Crumbs (Panko or Bread Crumbs can be used for the NonGF folks)
- Nonstick Cooking Sprray
- Grated Parmesan Chese
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Peel eggplant and slice into ½" thick slices.
- Stack slices and cut into ½" wide strips.
- Place eggplant strips into a bowl (or the sink) and add the salt. Toss eggplant to spread salt.
- Cover eggplant with water. A bowl, cutting board, or other object can be placed on top of the eggplant to fully submerge the eggplant in the salt water. Soak eggplant for 30 minutes up to several hours (This one soaked for 4 hours).
- Drain salt water and rinse eggplant with clean water. Spread eggplant on paper towels or dish towels to dry.
- Optional: A salad spinner can be used to help drain and dry the eggplant. Place a handful of eggplant in the spinner at a time to spin.
- Preheat oven to 400*.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg(s), before adding the buttermilk, baking soda, and half of the seasoned salt, garlic salt,oregano, parsley, and basil. Mix well.
- Pour the egg and milk mixture over the eggplant. Coat all eggplant with the mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cornflake crumbs, and the other half of the seasoned salt, garlic salt,oregano, parsley, and basil. Mix well.
- Spray stone, baking sheet, or your desired cookware with nonstick spray.
- Add a few pieces of eggplant to the coating mixture and coat well.
- Arrange coated eggplant on cooking stone, leaving a small amount of space between each piece of eggplant.
- Continue coating and arranging eggplant until all eggplant is on the stone.
- Spray the top of the eggplant with the nonstick cooking spray.
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese across the tops of the eggplant.
- Bake 25 - 45 minutes until crust is golden brown and crunchy. Bake time will vary depending on cookware, eggplant thickness, and oven.
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve with a side of marina sauce for dipping, if desired.
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