The Best Fried-Eggplant Sandwich

By Sam Sifton

The Best Fried-Eggplant Sandwich
Davide Luciano for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Gozde Eker.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(617)
Comments
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In the spring of 2016, my most favorite sandwich was fried eggplant, mozzarella and roast beef on an Italian hero, with hot peppers and a slash of mayonnaise. I adapted the recipe from a sandwich served at Defonte’s Sandwich Shop, on Columbia Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It is a beautiful torpedo of food, crunchy, silken, sweet and spicy all at once. You can certainly omit the roast beef to make it vegetarian or at any rate a little smaller, the sort of meal that offers satisfaction without hurting anyone, that delivers deliciousness at a lower cost to the body that consumes it. It is still a colossal feed. It is still the best sandwich.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4
  • 2smallish Italian eggplants, roughly 1½ pounds total
  • 2tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4large eggs
  • 2tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4hero rolls
  • 2 to 3tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 8ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into thin slices
  • 8ounces sliced cooked roast beef (optional)
  • 1cup hot cherry peppers, or to taste, sliced
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1121 calories; 90 grams fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 51 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 1375 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with paper towels. Trim stem end from eggplants, then peel and discard skin. Using a knife or a mandoline, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 3/16-inch-thick slabs. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant with salt. Let stand for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Pat eggplant dry with paper towels, and stack on a plate.

  2. Step 2

    Discard the wet paper towels, and replace them in the sheet pan with more, then place a wire rack on top. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmery. Working in batches, fry the eggplant slabs until just tender, approximately 30 to 40 seconds per side. Transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. Remove skillet from heat.

  3. Step 3

    In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and grated Parmesan. Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat until the oil is hot again.

  4. Step 4

    Working in batches, dip drained eggplant into egg batter, then fry in oil until puffed, lightly golden and cooked through, approximately 2 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer fried eggplant to rack to drain. You can cook the eggplant in advance of assembling sandwiches. Covered, it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, though the eggplant is best at room temperature.

  5. Step 5

    Assemble sandwiches. Cut the hero rolls open, then spread each one with mayonnaise. Layer the slices of eggplant onto the bread in equal portions, and top with equal portions of the mozzarella and the sliced roast beef. Add slices of hot cherry peppers to taste, fold the sandwich together and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
617 user ratings
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Comments

Steve

Rather than frying the eggplant, bake per Cook's Illustrated Parmesan recipe. After salting & blotting dry, dredge in seasoned flour, then egg, then fresh breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese. Bake on oiled baking sheets at 425 for 30 minutes, flipping and rotating as needed. Crispy, crunchy and eggplanty, without being greasy. Approx. 3 tbs. oil per baking sheet is enough.

DRC PGH

You'll have leftover beaten egg. Add some bread crumbs to it (and anything else you might like, like more cheese, cut up leftover veggies, bits of ham) and fry it in a pan with a little of that oil you cooked the eggplant in: frittata.

Bernice Glenn

Broiling the eggplant is easier and much less fatty. Place slices on a cookie sheet and brush the slices, both sides, with olive oil. Broil until soft.

TVB

I’ve been making this sandwich ever since Sam posted it, and it never disappoints. When my wife and I can’t come up with a dinner plan, this is our go-to. Our local butcher has amazingly think planks of lightly fried eggplant and rare roast beef. Otherwise made exactly as written. And yes, it really is the best sandwich.

TVB

This sandwich is the bomb! I don’t know who thought of the combo, but Mmmmmmm mmmmm.

ML

This was tasty, but I thought the eggplant prep as written was too much trouble for the end result.

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