Breaded Eggplant Rounds or Planks for the Freezer

How to Make

• Step 1: Eggplant ... These can brown pretty quickly, so have everything ready, and the water boiling, before you begin slicing the eggplant. Add the water and lemon juice to a large pot, and bring to a light boil. Also, set up a bowl of ice water too to dip the eggplant in, right after blanching.

• Step 2: Add the eggplant to the pot of boiling water and blanch 3-4 minutes depending on the size. Three (3) minutes for the smaller eggplant, four (4) minutes for the larger eggplant. Once they have blanched, remove using a slotted spoon; and, add to the bowl of ice water. DO NOT let them soak in the water, just 30 seconds or so to cool off. Then, off to a plate lined with a paper towel to dry and cool. Lay a paper towel on top too, so it dries.

• Step 3: Breading ... Make sure the eggplant is completely dried. Then set up your breading station: 1) flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper, 2) beaten eggs, 3) panko and Italian bread crumbs.

• Step 4: Coating ... Simply - dip the slices into the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Then, into the egg; and, finish in the bread crumbs (pressing down, to make sure they are completely coated on both sides. Set on a baking sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

• Step 5: Freeze and Store ... Add the sheet pan to the freezer for approximately 30 minutes until firm. Then stack them up in the parchment paper they were on, and wrap up. Then, wrap in foil, and add to a larger gallon size ziploc bag. This, allows you to use as many as you need for each recipe. You can also use the food saver bags.

• Step 6: Finish ... They can then be baked, sauteed, fried, or however you want to use them in your favorite recipes. ENJOY!