At Mansurs, Eggplant Camellia rises above the rest

Frying eggplant is one of those kitchen jobs that seems simple until you try it. Even accomplished cooks can send a few slices into hot oil and retrieve something limp, greasy, and destined to be eaten more out of obligation than pleasure.

Not at Mansur's on the Boulevard.

Here, the kitchen fries three eggplant medallions until they are delicate and light. They are daintier than the husky rounds commonly found beneath the red sauce and melted cheese of eggplant parmigiana, one of the most satisfying creations of the Italian kitchen, with an excellent version served at DiGiulio Brothers.

But the fried eggplant is only the beginning of Mansur's Eggplant Camellia. The dish belongs to another tradition entirely, and its French sauces are the reason to order it.

Three medallions, more dainty than the husky ones usually found at an Italian restaurant, sit on a béarnaise sauce, a creamy, tangy emulsion made with butter and egg yolks.  On top is lump crabmeat and a dill hollandaise made with egg yolks, butter and lemon juice.

Crabmeat is expensive, and Baton Rouge restaurants sometimes scatter it indiscriminately over dishes. At Mansur’s, it has a purpose. Its sweetness suits the mild eggplant, while its firm texture holds its own against the creamy sauces.

So when you reach the last piece of crabmeat, look around. If no one is watching, use your fingers to pick it up and run it through the béarnaise and dill hollandaise left on the plate.

Do not surrender a bit of crabmeat and sauces to the dishwasher.

—Mukul Verma