Deep-Fried Eggplant Croutons

Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.

Show: Big Daddy's HouseEpisode: Dishes with Dad

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (9)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(9)

Cook Time:
10 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 10 min
Total:: 25 min

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Ingredients

Canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 eggplant, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 bag spring mix greens
1 heart romaine, chopped
10 basil leaves, torn
10 fresh oregano leaves
10 parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat a fryer to 375 degrees F.

In separate shallow dishes add flour, egg and bread crumbs. Coat the eggplant cubes in the flour, then the egg and finally through the bread crumbs. Carefully add the cubes to the fryer and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the fryer to a paper towel lined platter to drain. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to combine and emulsify. Add the herbs, salt and pepper. Set aside to dress salad.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the greens, herbs, cheese, tomatoes and onion.

Toss with the desired amount of dressing, top with eggplant croutons and serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Deep-Fried Eggplant Croutons
Thomas Bellflower, CA 09-20-2009
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Great Salad
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made the salad and eggplan croutons for the Mayweather fight at an party. It was an big hit. Everybody love the salad,... especially the croutons. Keep up the good work Aaron.Read more
recipe Deep-Fried Eggplant Croutons
Shae Shiner, TX 09-12-2009
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The whole meal
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I watched this episode and it looked so yummy that I decided to do the whole thing. It looked so easy on TV. Not so in my... own kitchen. I am not a chef but am an experienced cook. It took 3 hrs to prepare the whole thing. The crutons were a lot of trouble but tasted good. My meatballs seemed a little dry and the sauce was way to hot for me. However, my husband and 15 yr old son thought it was great.Read more
recipe Deep-Fried Eggplant Croutons
Patti Belleville, NJ 09-11-2009
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Funny Last Poster Should Sat That!!!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I watched the episode and decided to cook the whole menu on a weeknight. Big Mistake. He makes it look nice and easy. It took... me about 3 hours due to all the cutting and chopping and different steps. The recipes were all great and I didn't expect much from the eggplant crouton recipe. Surprised the heck out of me!!! Fantastic. My son said the salad was the best. Everything was rockin'. The only thing I do have to say is that I thought the marinara made from this recipe was sort of bland, so if you have your own favorite do that, and also my kids (young adults and teens) thought that my meatballs are better, but I thought this meatball recipe was good and different. I hope they are good as leftovers, as my poor youngest daughter didn't even get to eat any because it did take much longer to cook this entire meal than anticipated and she fell out. I am going to do the recipe again, and allow more time, and add guests the next time. I hope to watch Aaron's show again and try some more of his recipes, or if he is single marry him and let him do it for me, LOL.Read more
recipe Deep-Fried Eggplant Croutons
Diana Tucson, AZ 09-09-2009
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Excellent salad idea!! Great meal!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I watched the show and decided to make the whole meal. The croutons are very, very good. They just sort of melt in your mouth... after the initial crispiness!! The dressing is fantastic-very flavorful and would rival any store bought Italian dressing. The garlic bread is to die for-and the meatballs are really good, too (I added an egg to my mixture). All in all, this dinner was a total success!! The marinara is good, too, but I only used half of the chicken bouillion and it was plenty salty ! The only 'complaint' I would have is that the receipes don't include all the prep time, so the whole dinner took 2 1/2 hours to prepare. Well worth it, but tough when you don't get home until 6:00 - unless of course you have a cute little helper like Aaron did. It would be a great weekend dinner and great for company!!Read more
recipe Deep-Fried Eggplant Croutons
Stephenee Tarzana, CA 09-09-2009
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Dont rate if you havent tried it!!
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

You all must be friends of Aaron cause no one commenting here has even made the Eggplant Croutons but you've all given it 5... stars. How can you rate a recipe when you havent even tried it??? Read more
recipe Deep-Fried Eggplant Croutons
Brandi Las Vegas, NV 09-07-2009
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WHAT A SALAD!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Big Daddy, you are the man! I did this salad for Labor day @ my aunt's house and there wasn't a leaf of salad left! I don't... really like eggplant so I used regular crutons, but it still turned out AMAZING! My contributing dish was a hit thanks to you Big Daddy, keep it going! I love watching your show, and it really helps that you're easy on the eyes ;-)Read more