Name: Sephardic Fried Eggplant with Sesame Seeds, Mint, and Honey
Ingredients: ½ cup all-purpose flour; Kosher salt or coarse sea salt; Olive oil, ideally from Spain, for frying; 1 tablespoon honey, preferably not very flowery-tasting, warmed; 1 tablespoon roasted hulled sesame seeds; ⅓ cup whole milk; 1 tablespoon julienned fresh mint leaves; 1 small Italian eggplant (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices; 1 large egg, beaten

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cast-Iron Cooking for Two

By Joanna Pruess

Published 2019

About

While visiting Spain with my kids, I learned that the Moors introduced eggplant into the Iberian Peninsula sometime after the eighth century. Spanish Jews, or Sephardim, embraced the fruit and used it in many dishes. In Seville, these tantalizing, sweet and savory fried slices are a favorite tapa or vegetable side dish. Honey, mint, and sesame seeds are often used together in Arabic cooking.