"This tastes like greasy bacon," I heard from across the table. Indeed it does, I thought to myself as I downed another piece. This smoky treat was a great addition to whole-wheat biscuits and folded eggs on a lazy Sunday morning. There was a time when I made breakfast similar to this every morning, but now that it's a rarity it seems like even more of a treat. So, If you've never had eggplant for breakfast, then it's time to treat yourself to it now. Make extra --this stuff would be great on vegetarian BLT or on top of your favorite veggie burger or pimento cheese sandwich.
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup sesame oil
brown sugar
black pepper
Over a medium flame, heat vegetable and sesame oil in a frying pan until you see the oil shimmer. Dredge the strips of eggplant in the flour. Pan-fry each strip of eggplant in the oil for about 3 minutes per side or until golden. Remove strips and palace on a paper towel or paper bag to drain. While strips are still warm, sprinkle each with a little brown sugar, black pepper, and a little hickory smoked sea salt. This will give your "bacon" the old familiar smoky, salty, sweet triple-punch you were used to. (This can also be made with fresh eggplant, but leftover grilled eggplant just adds another layer of smoke.)
