Recipe: Egplant Fries

EGGPLANT FRIES

2 small eggplants
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water
salt to taste (preferably kosher)
oil for frying

This may sound a bit odd, but this will be some of the tastiest eggplant you've ever had.  Eggplant isn't really one of my favorite vegetables, but this works.

First off, if possible, use 2 small eggplants instead of 1 large one.  Smaller eggplants tend to be a little sweeter than larger ones.  Cut off the two ends of the eggplant, and then peel it, taking off as little flesh as you can.  A sharp vegetable peeler will work well.

Cut the eggplants into 4-5 "planks" lengthwise, and then cut these plants into strips no less than 1/2 inch wide.

NOTE:  Most recipes that I've ever read for eggplants say to cut them into planks or rounds, and then to salt and squeeze as much of the moisture out as you can.  I have NEVER done this when making eggplant in any way.  The only way they'll be bitter is if you start with big, old eggplants.  If you're using smaller, younger ones, you don't generally need to worry about it.  Also, in this case, we want plenty of moisture in the eggplant.

Heat the oil to 350-375 in a dutch oven or other large, heavy pot.

Next, mix the flour, garlic and onion powders, and oregano together.  I use a brown paper "lunch bag," but a large bowl or large zip-top bag will work just fine.

Crack the eggs into a shallow, wide bowl and add the water.  Mix well.

Take 8-12 of the eggplant strips and dredge them in the flour mixture.  Shake off the excess, and then coat in the egg.  Now, put the strips back into the flour and toss to coat.

Take the floured eggplant strips and immerse them in the hot oil.  The temperature will go down, but so long as it stays about 325 or so, you're in good shape.  If your oil is too cool, the eggplant will get VERY oily.  Fry them until golden brown and crispy.  Remove them from the oil, and evacuate them to a draining rig of some sort (I use a cooke sheet lined with a kitchen hand towel).  Sprinkle lightly with salt while they're still hot, so that the salt will stick.

Repeat with the rest of the eggplant.  Serve immediately.

Restaurant review: Bintliff's American Cafe, Portland, ME

Bintliff's American Cafe (98 Portland, St., Portland, ME) is a bit of an institution in Portland.  It's been around for decades, in a city where literally dozens of restaurants open and close during the course of any given year.  

Around the walls of Bintliff's are autographed pictures of celebrities that have visited and old (as in 100 years +) invoices and other paperwork of grocers and such.  There are two floors of tables, most on the second floor, as well as outdoor seating that is open, weather permitting.

Saturday and Sunday breakfast can be busy, often with a significant wait, but the weather today was beautiful, which opened the outside tables and allowed for fast seating.  My companion and I were given a booth indoors, and our friendly waiter was quick to our table to offer coffee.  He asked if we wanted cream for our coffee -- which I greatly appreciated, since both me and my companion take our coffee black.

We both ordered pancakes for our late breakfast.  I had  two ginger bread pancakes, which is served with a warm lemon syrup, and my companion had one of the morning specials --  two pancakes with white peaches and walnuts.  We also shared a side of corned beef hash, and my companion added an egg over easy to his order.

Pancakes here are not for the faint of heart.  As our water remarked after we were finished, it is rare for anyone to finish a stack of 3.  They are dense and big (usually more than 8 inches across).  Mine were slightly smaller than my companions, but that was perfectly fine due to the additional side of hash.

My pancakes were very tasty, only subtly of gingerbread.  It was not, as I feared it would be, big and soft gingerbread cookies.  The lemon syrup was very tart, and is best used sparingly.  Luckily, the portion of the syrup that comes with the order is small and was just the right side for the two pancakes.

My companion's peach pancakes were not, he reported, overly sweet, which was a concern.  (Since I do not care much for peaches, I did not sample his breakfast.)  White peaches were used, and they were not so juicy that they created dimples or pockets in the pancakes.  Whole walnut halves were also used.

His egg over-easy was perfectly cooked, with a very runny yolk, which he promptly broke over his pancakes and ate.

The corned beef hash is made in-house and bears no resemblance to the pasty stuff you find in cans.  Large chunks (cubes about 2 inches per side) of corned beef, potato, and sweet potato, as well as sliced and sauteed red onion.  It tasted faintly of rosemary, and the beef was only slightly fatty.

Our server was highly efficient and pleasantly chatty, though not overly so.  He kept our coffee filled and was able to answer our questions about items on the menu and ingredients in what we had ordered.

Other items on the menu include several types of Belgian waffles, huevos rancheros, as well as some breakfast frittatas and vegetarian and vegan items.  Sandwiches and salads are also served on a lunch menu.

The cost for our meal (2 orders of 2 pancakes, a side of corned beef hash, 1 egg over-easy, and 2 cups of coffee) was $26.86 -- slightly pricy for a breakfast, but the quality of the food is reflected in the slightly higher prices.  It would be nice if the pancake portions were slightly more reasonable, but luckily there is the option to order them 1 or 2 at a time instead of a full stack of 3.

OVERALL RATING:  8 out of 10.