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Yes, I’m in a recipe mood. I tend to post up many of my meals on Facebook and receive lots of comments. Frequently its, what is the recipe. So in an effort to further clutter my blog with unrelated material – I will now post recipes here and there. Maybe it will help me to post more frequently and I can get back to the subject matter which most of you are more interested in. Marketing. Advertising. Business. Current Events. My take on all of that jazz.
Anyways, let’s get back to this eggplant business. I had acquired quite the large eggplant this past summer. Now, I was able to make 3 different dishes out of that one vegetable for myself. The most snack-tastic were these tempura eggplant sticks. So freakin’ tasty! I added a mascarpone cheese topping with blueberries to give it a sweet and clean finish. I’m a big fan of healthy dishes and this is definitely up there.
Eggplant is a relative of tomatoes, potatoes, and … tobacco. It is native to India and shows up in a lot of Indian, Arabic and Asian dishes. Different species (cultivars) of Eggplant are usually classified by their size, shape and color. I had a large, purple elongated-ovoid type which translates to the big, purple, long, and oval.
Eggplant Tempura with Mascarpone and Blueberry
- eggplant
- egg
- flour
- ice water
- salt
- black pepper
- cayenne pepper
- mascarpone cheese
- heavy cream
- fresh blueberries
- Olive, canola, or peanut oil
Peel entire eggplant. Slice into 1/4″ wide and 2 1/2″ long strips. In mixing bowl beat egg with ice water. Then add flour until mixture becomes thick and slightly lumpy. Season the mixture with an 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. Pour oil into a saucepan or pot to make a 3″ depth on medium to high heat. Carefully drop a droplet or two of water into the oil to see if it crackles. IF so, your oil is hot and ready. Line a separate plate or bowl with paper towels. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper, dip into tempura batter, and carefully place into frying liquid. With metal tongs or a fryer basket let the eggplant slightly brown on one side. Then flip to brown the other side. Once cooked after about 4-6 min, begin laying them on the towels to dry. You can keep them warm in the oven on low if you’d like. Mix the mascarpone cheese with heavy cream and blueberry in a bowl until smooth and light. Serve the eggplant on a platter with mascarpone and blueberry as dipping sauce.
