- 4 or 5 small or 2 large eggplant, about 2 pounds total, trimmed
- Salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
- 3 cups plain bread crumbs for dredging
- 3 eggs, beaten
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, or all oil or all clarified butter, plus more as needed
- Chopped parsley leaves for garnish
- Lemon wedqes
- Cut the eggplant into ½-inch-thick slices; salt them if large and time allows. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set out the flour, bread crumbs, and beaten eggs on plates or shallow bowls next to each other on your counter and have a stack of parchment or wax paper ready. Season the eggs liberally with salt and pepper.
- Rinse and dry the eggplant. Dredge the slices, one at a time, in the flour, then dip in the egg, then dredge in the bread crumbs. Stack the breaded cutlets between layers of wax paper and then transfer the stack to chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes and up to 3 hours.
- Put the oil and/or butter in a deep pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high; when the oil, is ready—about 350°F—a pinch of flour will sizzle in it. Put in a few of the eggplant slices; cook in batches as necessary, being sure not to crowd the pan, adding additional oil to the pan as necessary.
- Turn the eggplant slices as soon as they’re browned, then cook the other side. The total cooking time should be 5 minutes or less. As each piece is done, transfer it first to paper towels to drain briefly, then to an ovenproof platter, and transfer the platter to the oven.
- Serve as soon as all the pieces are cooked, garnished with the parsley, with the lemon wedges on the side. Celery Root “Schnitzel.”
- Celery Root “Schnitzel.”