Sauteed Eggplant with Honey and Thyme

It's that time again for Eating the Alphabet Recipe Challenge hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic.  This month's letters were E/F and I had to make a recipe using a fruit, vegetable, grain, or legume that begins with one of those letters.  Although I make eggplant often because I like it, the kids don't.  I really try to embrace this challenge each month and try cooking with a new veggie or legume. But when I saw this recipe at A Spicy Perspective and Sommer said, " This my friends… is how to cook eggplant. This is how to get the reluctant eggplant-eater on board" I had to try this.  I really want my kids to like eggplant!  Unfortunately, this recipe did not make them like eggplant.  I was sure it would since they love honey!  But they ate 4 bites each for me and called it quits.  I liked the taste of the eggplant after soaking in milk overnight and then dredged in flour and fried.  I actually preferred the eggplant without the honey and thyme.  I was eating pieces of this eggplant topped with some sliced mozzerella on italian bread and it was delicious!  If you have a reluctant eggplant eater you may want to give this recipe a try. 

Sauteed Eggplant with Honey and Thyme
recipe from A Spicy Perspective

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 cups milk
½ cup flour
3-5 Tb. olive oil
3 Tb. honey
2 Tb. fresh thyme leaves
Sea Salt

Directions:
Peel the eggplant and slice it into thin 1/8 inch rounds.

Place the eggplant slices in an airtight container and pour the milk over it. Cover and refrigerate over night.

In a small pie pan, mix the flour with 1 tsp. salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towels.

When the oil is hot, dredge a few slices of eggplant in the flour and tap off the excess. Gently place them in the skillet and pan fry for 2 minutes per side. Remove and place on the plate to drain.

Repeat with the rest of the eggplant, adding oil to the skillet as needed. Sprinkle the slices with a little more sea salt as they come out of the skillet.

Serve warm, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with thyme.

Family Rating: So-so.