Sautéed Eggplant with Honey
Sautéed Eggplant with Honey and Thyme – This melt-in-your-mouth tender and savory-sweet recipe is sure-fire way to create eggplant converts.
Our Past Nemesis – Sautéed Eggplant
We all have a certain food that is our life-long nemesis.
Well, I used to dislike eggplant. Although the color and shape was appealing, the texture reminded me of makeup sponges, something I wasn’t keen on eating.
Fried Eggplant is a dish people tend to have strong opinions about. Today I’ll show you how to cook eggplant in a way everyone will enjoy.
The Secret Restaurants Don’t Tell You
In the past, no matter how I (or anyone else) prepared it, eggplant always seemed to make my nose wrinkle in disapproval.
Then I learned a restaurant secret that changed everything… Apply milk to makeup sponges, I mean, eggplant.
To magically remove the bitterness from the eggplant and greatly improve the texture, soak the eggplant in milk overnight. Once the slices of eggplant have taken a long, luxurious, milky bath, they are tenderized and primed for frying.
Simply tap off the extra moisture, dust the eggplant slices with sea salt and flour. Then pan-fry them in a large cast iron skillet until golden brown. Then serve piping hot.
Sautéed Eggplant Recipe Ingredients
- Large Eggplant
- Whole Milk
- All-Purpose Flour
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Fresh Thyme Leaves
- Sea Salt
How to Fry Eggplant
- Start off the night before cooking the eggplant by peeling the skin from the eggplant and slicing it into circular pieces. Place the slices in an airtight container. Pour in just enough milk to cover the eggplant pieces and then put it in the refrigerator overnight.
- On day two: In a shallow dish, mix together the flour and salt. Heat some oil in a large skillet for pan-frying. Make sure to have a large plate lined with paper towels near the stove, to absorb the excess oil.
- When the oil is ready, dip the eggplant pieces into the flour and cover generously. Make sure to tap off the extra flour before placing in the hot oil. Let them cook for about 2 minutes per side then set on the paper towel-lined plate to cool off and drain. Then sprinkle the eggplant with sea salt.
- Finish cooking all the eggplant and add oil to the skillet as needed.
- Serve warm with a honey drizzle and some thyme.
This my friends… Is how to cook eggplant.
This is how to get the reluctant eggplant-eater on board. Tender layers of fried eggplant, with the uncanny custard-like texture of good French Toast.
It is crispy on the outside, moist and supple on the inside. Drizzled with honey and sprinkled with fresh thyme and sea salt. This sautéed eggplant is one irresistible veggie.
Sautéed Eggplant with Honey and Thyme will make a believer of you, guaranteed!
Get The Full (Printable) Recipe Below For How To Make Sauteed Eggplant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you salt eggplant before frying?
Yes, whether you put the salt in the flour mixture or just sprinkle it before placing it in the oil, the salt really helps the flavor of the eggplant develop as it cooks. Also, add a little salt at the end of the frying process to further enhance the flavor. Holding off on some of the salt, until the end, will help keep the eggplant from getting mushy or soggy.
Do you have to peel the eggplant before frying?
No. Eggplant skin is definitely edible. Yet because the texture of this dish is so soft and luxurious, I prefer it without the skin.
Could you use almond flour instead of wheat flour?
I have tried it with almond flour and it works, but not nearly as well. A better suggestion might be coconut flour or gluten-free baking mix.
More Summer Veggies:
- Sautéed Yellow Squash with Blistered Tomatoes Recipe
- Fennel Salad with Roasted Beets and Shaved Asparagus Recipe
- Fattoush Salad with Grilled Vegetables Recipe
- Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks ~ How Sweet It Is
- Grilled Corn ~ Michael Ruhlman
- Roasted Tomato Soup ~ Smitten Kitchen
Sautéed Eggplant with Honey
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3-5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Peel the eggplant and slice it into thin 1/8-inch rounds. Place the eggplant slices in an airtight container and pour the milk over it. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- In a small pie pan, mix the flour with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towels.
- When the oil is hot, dredge a few slices of eggplant in the flour and tap off the excess. Gently place them in the skillet and pan fry for 2 minutes per side. Remove and place on the plate to drain.
- Repeat with the rest of the eggplant, adding oil to the skillet as needed. Sprinkle the slices with a little more sea salt as they come out of the skillet. Serve warm, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with thyme.
Never thought to use milk — but I don;t like the idea of frying– I thought you were going to gently sauté in lower heat…Have you tried soaking in milk, then sautéing without dredging in flour? I’ll have to try that, since i Love eggplant! Thanks for the great tip.
Such a fabulous and healthy little eggplant dish!! Totally loving it.
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve never thought to use milk.
This is such a beautiful dish. Never know about the milk bath. I’m going to give that a try. :)
Absolutely gorgeous…never thought of combining eggplant with honey!! Pinning it…
I have always been on the fence about eggplant. Sometimes it is pretty good, other times it is kind of gross. All in the cooking, I am sure! This recipe look and sounds amazing. I love the flavors. I will definitely have to give this a try, I would like to add more veggies in any way to our life.
I think eggplant is totally underrated. Love it. And This. Yes indeed xoxo
What a wonderful way to serve eggplant. Great idea to soak in milk too, must give that a try.
What a fantastic trick – I’ve never heard of soaking eggplant in milk!
Love egglant! This looks fabulous!
What a great tip! I have never heard about soaking it in milk to remove the bitterness. I have usually just sprinkled with kosher salt and let it “sweat” it out after about 30 minutes. I have to admit that I am not much of an eggplant person either, however I just recently had an amazing eggplant dish and am now HOOKED! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I haven’t had eggplant in a long time, it is hard to come by here. This looks really delicious. Love those dishes too!
I wonder if that’s how they do it at Curate… I love the eggplant they have. I’m going to have to try this with the eggplant I got at the market.
Haha, YES! That’s where I got this tip. :)
You’re my kitchen hero. So I decided to bring Curate home tonight: I’m makeing the Eggplan, along with the Garlic shrimp and the patatas bravas (I got the sauce recipe from Elizabeth Button).
Oh wow! I need to try this! My husband is convinced he doesn’t like eggplant!
Heading to the market NOW! These look delicious.
Really?? Great tip! I do have the issue with eggplant. They need a milk bath, huh? Got it!
Soaking eggplants in milk overnight will obviously make them tender and milky but all you need to do to extract the bitterness is slice them, sprinkle them with salt and put them under a weight for about an hour then rinse.
This is what Italians do at least.
I wouldn’t add milk to eggplants if I were making parmigiana but it works for this recipe.
Thanks Andrea! I’ve tried that, but for me the texture has always been the issue, so the milk it the key to transforming it.
I love eggplant but I’ve never thought to soak it in milk – brilliant! I love the honey and thyme here too.