A Full Belly

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Wayne and Tracie invited us over Wednesday night for a Turkish Themed Potluck. I love potlucks, and I love Wayne and Tracie, so I immediately hit the cookbook collection to search for an appropriate recipe. I ended skimming through Mediterranean-themed Olives & Oranges by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox, and settled on a recipe for Fried Eggplant Balls. Simple and delicious, and easy to make ahead, I was sold.

They turned out to be a huge hit at the potluck, especially among those who claimed to be former eggplant haters. Success! I'll definitely be making these again.

Fried Eggplant Balls

From Olives & Oranges by Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox

Ingredients

2 large eggplants (about 2 3/4 lb)

1 large egg

2 cups medium-ground fresh bread crumbs

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Extra virgin olive oil for shallow frying

Procedure

Heat oven to 375 F. Prick each eggplant several times with a fork. Roast until cooked through, about 1 hour. Let cool.

Halve eggplants lengthwise, scrape flesh from skin, and place in a fine sieve set over a mixing bowl; discard skin. Drain for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Transfer eggplant flesh to a food processor (discard juices). Add egg, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, and salt; pulse to combine. Transfer to a plate or bowl. Form into forty 1-inch balls.

Fill a large skillet with 1/4 inch oil and heat to 360 F to 365 F. Using a slotted spoon add several eggplant balls into hot oil to cook until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining balls.

Serve eggplant balls hot, dusted with a little grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped parsley.

• This is A Full Belly, a weblog about eating well, edited and published by Alaina Browne. Read more. . .
  

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