Chef Juliette
Artichauts à la Barigoule
Artichauts à la Barigoule turns tender artichokes into little braising vessels, packed with mushrooms and fat bacon, wrapped, wine-braised, then dressed with only a spoonful of dark, concentrated sauce.
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Aubergines Frites
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2048, Aubergines Frites, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Aubergines frites prove that frying is a matter of heat and timing: thin rounds, a dry veil of flour, bronze crusts, and a straight journey from oil to waiting plates.
Side Dishes
French
Quick Meal
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
15 min
Active Time
20 min cook•35 min total
Yield4 servings
Aubergines frites (fried aubergine roundels) teach one unforgiving truth: crispness has a clock. The flour must meet a dry slice, the slice must meet properly hot oil, and the finished round must meet its eater without delay. Get that rhythm right and the crust is thin and lightly cragged, while the aubergine inside turns soft and almost creamy.
The source assumed a deep pan of oil already at frying heat, one cook working in batches, and another pair of hands ready to carry the dish on its napkin. The home equivalent is a heavy saucepan, a thermometer, a wire rack, and four diners called to the table before the first batch goes in. The home batch uses two aubergines and one litre of oil, enough for four as a side. The permanent fryer and service runner were brigade scaffolding, so they go; the sequence and immediate service are the dish, so they stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
The source's smoking oil was a heat test, not an invitation to fill the kitchen with acrid smoke. Bring refined oil to 185°C / 365°F, just below its smoke point, and let the thermometer supply the certainty once provided by a practiced fryer cook. The step that matters most is maintaining that heat between batches; let it fall and the aubergines drink oil before the flour can set.
Aubergines frites sit most naturally in Mediterranean France, especially Provence and the coast, where aubergines belong to the everyday vegetable larder and frying in oil suits the region's cooking. From southern household pans, plainly fried slices passed into the national classical repertory as a vegetable garnish, kept bare so texture remained the measure of the cook. The napkin in classical service was practical rather than decorative: it caught surface oil during the brief journey from pan to table, because waiting, not simplicity, is the dish's true enemy.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
medium aubergines
Quantity
2 (about 1½ lb / 700 g)
stems trimmed and cut crosswise into 3/16-inch (5 mm) roundels
fine sea salt
Quantity
1¼ teaspoons (6 ml / 7 g)
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 1 g)
all-purpose flour
Quantity
¾ cup (180 ml / 90 g)
refined peanut or sunflower oil
Quantity
4 cups (1 L / about 920 g)
for frying
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| medium auberginesstems trimmed and cut crosswise into 3/16-inch (5 mm) roundels | 2 (about 1½ lb / 700 g) |
| fine sea salt | 1¼ teaspoons (6 ml / 7 g) |
| freshly ground black pepper | ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 1 g) |
| all-purpose flour | ¾ cup (180 ml / 90 g) |
| refined peanut or sunflower oilfor frying | 4 cups (1 L / about 920 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •Sharp chef's knife or mandoline with hand guard
- •3-quart (3-litre), 8-inch (20 cm) heavy saucepan
- •Clip-on deep-fry thermometer
- •Wire skimmer or long-handled slotted spoon
- •Wire rack set over a sheet pan
- •Absorbent kitchen paper
Instructions
- 1
Slice evenly
Set a wire rack over a sheet pan, place absorbent paper beside it, and have the serving platter waiting. Cut the aubergines crosswise into even 3/16-inch (5 mm) roundels, then blot both faces thoroughly. Uniform thickness matters: thick slices remain spongy when the thin ones are already dark, while surface moisture spits in the oil and turns flour to paste.
A sharp knife is perfectly sufficient. If you use a mandoline, fit its hand guard from the first slice, not when the aubergine has become too small to hold safely. - 2
Heat oil safely
Pour the oil into a heavy 3-quart (3-litre) saucepan, where it should stand about 1¼ inches (3 cm) deep and fill no more than one-third of the vessel. Clip on the thermometer and heat over medium-high heat to 185°C / 365°F. Visible smoke means the oil has gone too far: remove the pan from the burner, let the temperature fall below 190°C / 375°F, then return it over gentler heat. Never put food into smoking oil.
Keep the saucepan handle turned inward, and keep water away from the frying station. Hot oil rewards attention and has no sense of humor about splashes. - 3
Season and dredge
Work with only four or five roundels at a time. Season both faces lightly with a proportional share of the salt and pepper, then dredge them in flour and shake off every loose patch; the coating should look like a veil, not armor. Put each round directly into the oil. If a coated slice waits and turns gummy, brush off the damp flour, blot the aubergine again, and dredge it afresh.
- 4
Fry in batches
Lower four or five roundels into the oil one by one, moving away from yourself, and keep the temperature between 180°C and 185°C / 355°F and 365°F. Fry for 2½ to 3 minutes, turning once, until both faces are deep gold with chestnut edges and the centres yield when pressed with the spoon. Let the oil recover fully before the next batch. If a batch emerges pale and oily, the oil was too cool; drain it, bring the oil to 190°C / 375°F, and refry those slices for 20 to 30 seconds until the crust sets. Ça se rattrape.
Crowding is the usual culprit. Every slice cools the oil, so four properly fried roundels are better than eight aubergine sponges. - 5
Drain and serve
Lift each batch with a wire skimmer, give it two firm shakes over the pan, and drain it on the rack for about 20 seconds. Touch the undersides briefly to absorbent paper, then carry the aubergines to the dry platter without stacking or covering them. The classical napkin performed this same practical job. Serve each batch while the next one fries, because holding everything until the end sacrifices the very quality the recipe protects. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Choose aubergines that feel heavy and firm, with taut skin and fresh green caps. Very large, seedy fruit releases more water, and water is precisely what this flour crust doesn't want.
- •Use a refined oil with a high smoke point. Refined peanut, sunflower, or refined olive oil will hold the required heat; extra-virgin olive oil begins smoking too readily for this method.
- •Put the diners at the table before frying. Aubergines frites are served in successive hot batches, not accumulated under a cover, where their own moisture softens the crust.
- •Once the oil is completely cold, strain it through a fine sieve, refrigerate it in a labeled covered jar, and reuse it for another savory frying. Discard it if it smells stale, foams excessively, or has turned very dark.
Advance Preparation
- •Up to 4 hours ahead, measure the flour and seasoning, arrange the draining rack, and set the table. Leave the aubergines whole until shortly before frying, since cut surfaces discolor and salted slices release water.
- •The finished dish cannot be made ahead without losing its point. If leftovers are unavoidable, spread them in one layer and reheat at 220°C / 425°F for 4 to 6 minutes; they will improve, though the first delicate crust does not return completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 180g)
Calories
430 calories
Total Fat
37 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
29 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
695 mg
Total Carbohydrates
22 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
3 g
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