Fried eggplant

My husband's favorite way to eat eggplant is rather odd.  He likes to peel and slice up an eggplant, then dip it in eggwash, bread crumbs and flour before frying it up in his cast-iron skillet.  But what's really odd is that he likes to serve it with maple syrup -- like a pancake.  That's the way his dad used to make eggplant.  And surprisingly, it's very good!

My husband took these pictures himself! His plate of fried eggplant, topped with maple syrup & served with sausage.

My husband is excellent at breading & frying.  He's gotten a lot of practice from frying up the catfish he brings home in the summer.  I'm not exactly sure how he does it, but he's told me a few secrets: Let the eggplant (or fish) sit a few minutes after dunking it in the eggwash & flour/bread crumbs and make sure the pan is hot enough (sometimes he uses a frying/candy thermometer). He also likes to use Panko bread crumbs when possible for extra crunch.  Let me tell you, this eggplant dish was quite a treat!