Fried Eggplant

Black Garlic and Cherry Tomato Relish, Shishitos, Fromage Blanc, Sungold Tomato Emulsion

Chef Maya Lovelace of Yonder | Portland, OR
Yield: 1 large shared plate

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Adapted by StarChefs | April 2018

INGREDIENTS

Buttermilk-Brined Eggplant:
475 grams full-fat buttermilk
150 grams Crystal hot sauce
44 grams salt
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced into ½-inch rounds

Sungold Tomato Emulsion:
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Sungold cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Whipped Fromage Blanc:
2 tablespoons Cypress Grove fromage blanc, tempered
1 teaspoon full-fat buttermilk
1 pinch salt
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch lemon zest

Black Garlic-Cherry Tomato Relish:
½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons mashed black garlic
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon aged Sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 pinch black pepper

Fried Eggplant:
2 cups peanut oil
2 cups stoneground white cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon bourbon-barrel smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 pinches black pepper
5 to 7 shishito peppers

To Assemble and Serve:
½ cup lemon basil
Edible flowers

METHOD

For the Buttermilk-Brined Eggplant:
In a large bowl, whisk to combine buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt. Add eggplant, coat thoroughly, and brine 1 hour at room temperature.

For the Sungold Tomato Emulsion:
In a small saucepan over medium-high flame, heat oil and add tomatoes and salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer and decrease heat to medium, swirling to prevent scorching. When tomatoes have burst, transfer to a Vitamix blender with the sugar and vinegar; blend on high for 1 minute.  Strain through a chinois, pressing firmly with a ladle.

For the Whipped Fromage Blanc:
In bowl, combine all ingredients and stir vigorously, until the mixture becomes smooth and light. Cover and refrigerate.

For the Black Garlic-Cherry Tomato Relish:
Quarter tomatoes. In a bowl, whisk to combine remaining ingredients. Add tomatoes, toss to coat, and set aside at room temperature.

For the Fried Eggplant:
Heat oven to 200°F. In a cast iron pan over medium-high flame, heat peanut oil to 325°F. In a shallow pan, whisk to combine cornmeal, salt, paprika, cayenne, and pepper. Remove Buttermilk-brined Eggplant from liquid, gently squeezing to remove excess. Dip eggplant into cornmeal mixture, fully coating, and place onto a sheet pan lined with a wire rack. A few at a time, fry eggplant until deep golden. Drain a sheet tray lined with a wire rack. Place tray in oven to keep warm. After frying the eggplant, quickly blister shishitos in the hot oil, transfer to a bowl, and season with salt.

To Assemble and Serve:
Onto a serving plate, pool ½ cup Sungold Tomato Emulsion and place Fried Eggplant over the sauce, shingling them to keep them crisp. Stir lemon basil into Black Garlic-Cherry Tomato Relish and then spoon over eggplant. Using two spoons, drop dollops of Whipped Fromage Blanc on top. Garnish with shishito peppers and edible flowers.

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