Pan-Fried Eggplant With Chile, Honey and Ricotta
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1½pounds Japanese or other slender eggplant, cut into 3-inch-by-1-inch spears
- Fine sea salt, as needed
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 5garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 12ounces whole-milk ricotta
- 1tablespoon honey, or to taste
- Red-pepper flakes, to taste
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- ⅓cup torn fresh basil leaves
- Lemon or lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
Sprinkle eggplant lightly with fine sea salt, and let sit while you heat the skillet.
- Step 2
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium. When hot, add oil and heat until shimmering. Pat eggplant dry if necessary, then arrange in a single layer in the skillet (cooking them in batches if necessary to prevent crowding). Fry until softened and golden brown on all sides, turning them often, about 9 to 15 minutes total.
- Step 3
Transfer eggplant as it cooks to a paper towel-lined plate, and sprinkle very lightly with more fine sea salt.
- Step 4
When all the eggplant is cooked, reduce heat under pan to low and add garlic and a little more oil; cook until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the paper towel-lined plate next to the eggplant.
- Step 5
Spread ricotta on a serving plate. Top with fried eggplant and garlic. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, flaky sea salt and basil. Serve immediately, with lemon or lime wedges on the side if you like.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Prakash Nadkarni
Good recipe. However, Harold McGee, in "On Food and Cooking" (2004 ed, p 332) notes that eggplant's spongy air-cell structure makes it soak up lots of oil, only to release most of the oil after it's cooked and the air cells collapse. He suggests either prior microwaving or salting the pieces to collapse the air cells prior to frying. He also notes that some recipes like the Turkish Imam Bayildi (a stuffed eggplant dish) deliberately omit prior salting to create a very rich dish.
Sue
I like to serve my fried eggplant with tahini , some feta on top and pan roasted pine nuts...delish...
Danny
This recipe deliberately calls for japanese Eggplant, rather than the classic Italian eggplants. This varietal difference solves the salting issue that's been raised.
Thomas
Marcella Hazan urges salting eggplant in her Classic Italian cookbook, required reading. And for at least 30 minutes. I do this every time and my fried eggplant is remarkably not st all oily. I’m also curious about your notion of not using globe eggplants. By simply slicing them thinly one gets the same effect as you describe. Anyway, thanks for the honey ricotta red pepper flake recipe. It’s spectacular.
Jean Paulson
I often make seared eggplant sandwiches (with toasted sesame seed mayo, fresh tomatoes and lettuce), but I don't use any oil at all: if the pan is hot enough, and the slices or wedges not too thick, they cook very quickly and get a lovely, melty interior. I might use that technique with this recipe as well.
Nina
if you fry the garlic first, and then strain it and keep the garlic and oil aside separately, it makes a lovely garlicky oil that you can then use to fry the eggplant. adds some good flavour!
Susan
Could you tolerate Greek yogurt with garlic and hot pepper flakes instead of cheese? Or substitute tahini for the dairy product, pomegranate molasses, and some pomegranate seeds with Aleppo pepper or hot pepper flakes? Fried eggplant on its own goes with almost anything.
Leah
This was a lovely weeknight meal that also only requires one pan! I put the red pepper in with the garlic to let the flavors marry a bit. I also seasoned the ricotta with a bit of salt and lemon zest. Will definitely make again.
Sheila Pulver
This recipe intrigued me because it reminded me of the delicious and unusual tapas in Spain consisting of crispy strips of eggplant drizzled with honey, but I actually think this combination of flavors is even better. I cooked it just as written and we were delighted by the salty, melting eggplant and toasty garlic chips on top of the creamy ricotta, with the zing of red pepper flakes, the freshness of basil, and the perfectly unpredictable golden touch of honey. Thank you, Melissa!
Nishi
Truly delicious and unusual. Graffiti or Asian eggplant is a must. Very flexible and can be adjusted for sweet and spicy according to taste - I fried a few small red chiles with the garlic chips first to flavor the pan before frying the eggplant. No idea why this hasn’t received more 5-star ratings - it belongs in a folder of Melissa Clark’s (MANY) greatest hits! She has been the star of our quarantine.
Walter
A truly wonderful dish. Personally, I would make sure to peel the eggplant and double the amount of garlic. The little crispy garlic chips aredelightful with the chili flakes and the honey (I used agave, being diabetic). One eggplant's worth of the recipe made a quite satisfying dinner for one. I never salt eggplant. Allegedly there is some 'bitterness' involved butt I cannot detect it. I hope to grow eggplant along with the orchids in my new greenhouse, and to enjoy it through the winter.
Allyson
I added some lemon zest and half of the basil to the ricotta and doubled the garlic. Turned out really good!
Caryl
Step 1: salt the eggplant. Not why people keep commenting about salting when it's right there in the recipe.
Donna Browning
Better yet (to me!) mix the honey with a tablespoon of pureed chipotle en adobo and lemon to taste and forget the red peppers. Or even better, double that sauce!
jim
Added pine nuts to the garlic. Nice buttery crunch.
Mark
Delicious. Having tried and liked it, i think fresh ricotta would be a worthy addition. Lets face it, Those tubs of ricotta are inferior to fresh made and this recipe showcases it. Herbed labneh would work well here.
Val
Loved it. Note to self: prep the garlic before you start cooking the eggplant.
LawyerMom3
I used Japanese eggplants and sliced them as directed. Still needed WAY more oil to cook them -- at least a 1/4 for each of my three batches. No way you could cook this much eggplant - even after salting and dabbing -- with so little oil.
corgimum
I liked this it turned out well but: Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil and salt, regardless of globe or Japanese. I used whole milk ricotta which was worth it. Honey and red pepper flake matched well. I would say 4.5/5! A great light vegetarian meal.
ML
Absolutely delicious! A little lemon zest and lemon juice added to the ricotta is nice.
CBokat
Made as is and it’s ok. I ended up sprinkling some pine nuts over it for more texture
Chrissy Bucheit
Made this when I was inspired by the Taiwanese eggplant from the market. An easy as can be, delicious, perfect dish simple enough to make for yourself and feel treated but also nice enough when having a friend over for dinner. Tender, melty fried eggplant is a dream over the ricotta with pops of flavor from the simple garnishes.
thejaneinpain
I saw this recipe today as a means to use some of our burgeoning Asian eggplant crop. I didn’t have any ricotta, but I did have a pint of crème fraiche that I made for a dinner party but did not use. I cooked the eggplant as noted (though I considered the air fryer method) and when it was done a I dumped a package of shelf stable gnocchi into the pan and browned them, adding the garlic near the end. Served with a topping of the crème fraiche and honey etc. I bet the ricotta tastes great, but tst
Gigi
The type of eggplant used is key, not the salting. While I did lightly salt while I fried the garlic first, it just pulled out a little moisture. I found a basket of Fairy Tale eggplant in the farmer's market and they were perfect, though any slim variety will do. I just sliced them in half. Do not use the large bulbous ones which need salting and can be bitter. I followed some suggestions and used 5 large garlic cloves, and zested a lemon into the ricotta with some chopped basil. Great flavors.
Gail G.
My garden is bursting with them and this recipe looks delicious.
Theodora
I have some leftover whipped ricotta that would be a nice base for this recipe.
Gretchen Brown
I roast Japanese eggplant pieces covered in olive oil and salt and pepper all the time on a sheet pan in a 425 oven. Originally learned this from a Deborah Madison recipe in her Greens cookbook for a tart. The eggplant gets a slightly charred flavor.Must turn pieces while cooking. I am going to make this recipe using that technique. Pine nuts or pomegranate seeds on top sound good. Thanks all for your suggestions.
rande
Surprising flavors prepared just as written. Delightful!
Beth
Amazing with homemade ricotta
Andy
Rich, luxurious, and delicious. - Add a bit of crunch with toasted pine nuts or pepitas - Serve with warm crostini and a roasted red pepper sauce for a weeknight meze. - Pair with a refreshing fennel or leek summer salad.
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