Cajun Fried Eggplant Medallions

Eggplant gets no respect in most American kitchens. People treat it like an afterthought, something to hide in a casserole. That's a shame, because when you fry eggplant the Cajun way, it transforms into something extraordinary. The bitter edge disappears. The flesh turns creamy as custard. And that cornmeal crust? Pure magic.

My grandmother Evangeline used to make these on Friday nights when meat was off the table. She'd slice the eggplant thick as your thumb, salt it to draw out the moisture, then dredge each round through buttermilk and seasoned cornmeal. Into the hot oil they'd go, and out came these golden medallions that made you forget you weren't eating meat at all. At Lagniappe, we serve them as a side to our blackened redfish, but they steal the show more often than not.

The secret is in the layering. You season the cornmeal, yes, but you also season the buttermilk. Then you hit them with a little more Cajun spice right out of the oil while they're still glistening. That's three layers of flavor before you even think about the cane syrup. And that syrup, that's the finish that makes people close their eyes and ask what you did to make vegetables taste this good.