https://www.themediterraneandish.com/baked-eggplant-fries-tzatziki-sauce/Baked Eggplant Fries
Ah biko. You want make fries. But you no want fry-am for oil. I get you.
See eggplant now. This one wey dey call garden egg for our side? Na same thing. But big one.
First thing. You go market. You pick eggplant. If e soft like pillow? Leave am. If e light like paper? Leave am. You want heavy one. The one wey if you drop am for table e go make sound like “gbam” not “fwuop.”
You bring am home. You wash am. You cut off head and yansh. Then you slice am into round. Then you cut the round into stick. Like chips. But fat chips. No be thin thin. If you cut am too thin, e go burn. If you cut am too thick, e no go cook inside. Na wahala.
Now. This one wey I go tell you now. No skip am.
You put the stick for colander. You pour salt. Like real salt. You use your hand, you turn turn am. You leave am for twenty minutes. Yes. Twenty. No be two minutes. Twenty.
Why? Because eggplant dey carry water like say na river. If you no do this, the water go come out for oven. Your breading go turn to wet paper. You go chop soggy fries. You go cry. I don cry before. Na bad feeling.
After twenty minutes, you go see water for the eggplant. Good. Wash the salt. Then you dry am. Use towel. Press am. If water remain, the breading no go stick. E go fall off like guy wey get no job.
Now three bowl.
Bowl one: flour. Little salt. Little pepper.
Bowl two: two eggs. Little milk. Use fork, whisk am.
Bowl three: panko. No be normal breadcrumb oh. Panko. Then garlic powder, paprika. If you get Parmesan, throw inside. If you like pepper, throw chili flake.
Now you take the stick. Put for flour. Shake. Put for egg. Shake. Put for panko. Press. Press with your finger. No be gentle. Then put for tray. Tray must get parchment paper. If no get parchment, the thing go stick and you no go fit remove am. You go chop the paper sef.
Finish all the stick. Your hand go messy. No worry. Wash later.
Now hear me. After you finish breading, no put for oven immediately. Leave am for ten minutes. Just rest am. The breading go dry small small. E go stick better. I learn this one when I go answer door for delivery. When I come back, e don rest. The thing come out crispy well well.
Oven. Four hundred degree. Not more, not less.
Pour oil for the fries. Small oil. Like two spoon. Shake the tray. Make all of them get oil. No drown them.
Spread them for tray. Leave space. If them touch, them no go crisp. Them go steam. Steamed fries na bastard.
Bake for twenty minutes. Then bring am out. Use flat spatula turn each one. Then bake again. Five to ten minutes. Watch am. When the thing turn golden and when you tap am e hard? Done.
Leave am for two minutes. E go become more crispy. I no know why. Na mystery.
If your fries come out soft? You no salt well. Or you pack them too tight. Nothing you can do. Chop am and vex.
If breading fall off? Eggplant still wet. Next time dry better.
If outside burn but inside raw? You cut am too thick or your oven too hot.
Eat am within ten minutes. After thirty minutes e still okay but no be same. After one hour? No. Just throw away.
Leftover? No use microwave. Air fryer at 375 for three minutes. Or oven at 400 for five.
Dipping? Marinara. Yogurt with garlic. Ketchup if you be small pikin.
Done biko. Na so I dey do am for my kitchen. My hand dey pepper now. I no get time for AI. I get time for fire.
