Baked crispy aubergine fries with lime & honey

This is my new favourite appetizer/snack, and you absolutely without question NEED to try it! 

On the exterior, they're crispy like french fries (but without all the fat), and inside they're all soft and melty and wonderful. 

Seriously, they're heavenly!

My two and half year old son went bananas for them... as did we.

Read on for the recipe...

Baked crispy aubergine fries with lime & honey

(Recipe adapted from Green Kitchen Travels by David Frenkiel & Luise Vindahl)

Ingredients:

1 Japanese eggplant 

2 cups milk

150 g fine cornmeal

2 tsp coarse seal salt

olive oil for drizzling

zest of 1 lime, chopped

honey for dipping

Cut the eggplant into bite-sized wedges (first cut it crosswise into approximately 3 inch long segments, then cut those segments in half lengthwise (so you have 3 inch long semi-cylinders), then cut each of those halves lengthwise again into 3 wedges).

Place the wedges in a bowl and cover with milk - allow to soak for 15 minutes to an hour to draw out the bitterness.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and sprinkle/spray with a thin coat of oil.

Mix the cornmeal and salt in a shallow dish. Remove a handful of eggplant wedges from the milk (shake off excess) and then coat with cornmeal. Place the wedges on the prepared tray in a single layer (preferably not overlapping or touching). Repeat with remaining wedges. Drizzle wedges with a little olive oil on top.

Bake for about 10-14 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Serve sprinkled with lime zest and a drizzle of honey (and a bowl of honey for dipping).