Recipe

Fried Eggplant Salad With Sweet Corn Dressing

Ingredients

2 cups Sweet Corn Dressing [2]
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Emeril's Creole Seasoning [3]
1 large egg 1/2 cup milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 large eggplant, peeled, sliced, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick sticks (about 64 sticks)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups assorted greens (endive, arugula, radicchio, or other salad greens
1/2 cup coarsely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Prepare the Sweet Corn Dressing, and set aside.
Combine the flour with 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning in a bowl. Beat the egg with the milk in another bowl. Combine the cornmeal with the remaining 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning in a third bowl.
Dredge the eggplant sticks in the seasoned flour, then the egg wash, then the seasoned cornmeal, shaking off any excess.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the eggplant and fry, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, for about 5 minutes. Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle evenly with the salt.
Toss the greens thoroughly with 1 cup of the dressing.
To serve, mound 2 cups of the salad in the center of each plate. Arrange about 16 eggplant sticks on top, and drizzle the eggplant with the remaining 1/4 cup dressing per salad.