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Eggplant Fritta for Mrs. Ducci

Written by Danielle Oteri

It’s hot. Air conditioner spit is in my hair. It’s almost my birthday. I hear cicadas in the park.

I have little desire to cook. Because it’s August. And I don’t want to make it any hotter in my apartment.

If I turn on the oven, I’ll have to crank up the air conditioning. I want to spend my birthday money on a new chef’s pan. Not the Con Ed bill.

Maybe I’ll fry something. Whenever I fry food, I think of Mrs. Ducci.

platter of pan-fried eggplant with tongs
Photo: Casey Barber

Almost eight years ago, I was a graduate student living in Florence, Italy. Fortuna granted me the opportunity to do research at a 400-year old villa in the heart of Tuscany.

Italy is filled with fallen noble families. The Risorgimento, which unified Italy in 1861, broke apart a society which was not far from feudal, and families of noble rank saw their power, status, and riches slowly begin to disintegrate.

The Ducci family was one of many. La Signora Isabella Ducci, the family matriarch, lived in the family villa surrounded by art, antiques, friends, and her extended family.

platter of pan-fried eggplant with tongs
Photo: Casey Barber

Little 3-year old Duccio Ducci was tearing around the rooms when I arrived, with a fellow student, to begin my investigation of their art collection.

Lara and I worked with quiet amazement and reverence at the treasures that were before us, occasionally looking at each other with stupefied smiles.

Our hearts were beating wildly as we held 400-year old canvases painted by students of Raphael. In the meantime, Mrs. Ducci was busy cooking for us.

platter of pan-fried eggplant
Photo: Casey Barber

With incredible simplicity and ease, she prepared chicken scallopini. It was dusted in flour, then pan-seared in olive oil and butter. Finally, she squeezed a lemon and added a bit of cream. It was lovely.

We felt obligated to return to the paintings, to earn our keep, but Mrs. Ducci clearly took great pleasure in feeding us. She had also made a cake from scratch.

She decided that the next time we visited, she would prepare una fritta: a big fry-up. I remember her clasping her hands with joy as she began to imagine what she would make for us.

We attempted another visit, but for one Italian reason or another, we never returned to the Ducci Villa. I have always felt a little guilty about not fulfilling our promise to share a fritta with Mrs. Ducci.

platter of pan-fried eggplant with tongs

Here’s something well-suited to cooking in the August heat, in honor of Mrs. Ducci. Fried eggplant sounds sexier in Italian: melanzana fritta. Make this eggplant fritta when it’s too hot to cook.

If you don’t like eggplant fritta, substitute zucchini instead. Simple!

platter of pan-fried eggplant with tongs

Eggplant Fritta (Pan-Fried Eggplant)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Make Italian pan-fried eggplant, or eggplant fritta, with a thin and crispy coating that's light as air. It's a perfect late summer appetizer or side dish when eggplants are in season.

Ingredients

  • 2 small eggplants, cut lengthwise into planks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Place the eggplant pieces in a large bowl, sprinkle with kosher salt, and then cover them with water.
  2. Let soak for 1 hour and then dry very well between paper towels or clean, non-terrycloth kitchen towels.
  3. Beat the egg in a large, shallow bowl.
  4. Whisk the flour, oregano, and hot pepper flakes together in a separate shallow bowl.
  5. Dredge each of the eggplant strips in the egg, then the flour mixture.
  6. Heat the olive oil in a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until rippling but not smoking.
  7. Fry the eggplant a few pieces at a time until golden brown.
  8. Remove and sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese over the fritta. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 462Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 575mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 11gSugar: 10gProtein: 13g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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