EGGPLANT, HOW DO I LOVE THEE?

 Let me count the ways—fried, grilled, roasted, steamed, stewed. With cheese. With ground meat stuffing. With seafood. With molasses. As a tapa, a side or a main dish. Spanish cooking has dozens of ways for preparing this versatile summer vegetable. 

This recipe for eggplant croquettes is one more reason for love. Crispy on the outside, meltingly creamy on the inside, the croquettes don't require bechamel sauce. They make a great aperitif to pass around with drinks or, served with rice and a sauce, a vegetarian main course.

Serve these croquettes as an aperitif with drinks.

Eggplant croquettes are crispy on the outside, creamy inside.

Serve croquettes with a dipping sauce. We like alioli, garlic mayonnaise.

Serve the croquettes on rice with sauce for a main course.

A delightful vegetarian main dish.

Eggplant Croquettes

Croquetas de Berenjena

The eggplant needs to be cooked until soft enough to mash. You can roast it on a grill or in the oven or, easiest in hot weather, steam it in a microwave. A food processor is helpful for grinding fresh breadcrumbs, chopping parsley and garlic, and mixing the eggplant.

Makes 20 croquettes

2 medium eggplant

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

¼ cup parsley

¼ teaspoon cumin

Pinch hot pimentón (paprika) or cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup grated cheese (3 ounces)

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole wheat

To fry the croquettes.

Flour for dredging

1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons of water

Fine dry breadcrumbs for dredging

Olive oil for frying

To microwave, wrap in plastic film.

  

 Place the eggplant in a microwave-safe dish. Wrap the dish in a double thickness of plastic film wrap. Microwave the eggplant on High for 5 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before unwrapping. (The eggplant should feel soft to the touch.) 

Split eggplant and scoop out flesh.

When cool enough to handle them, slit the eggplant open and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. There should be approximately 2 cups pulp. Place in a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice.

Mince the garlic and parsley in a food processor. Add the eggplant pulp and pulse to chop the eggplant finely. Don’t puree it. Blend in the cumin, pimentón and salt. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the grated cheese. Add the breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly.

Chill the croquette mixture at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Place the flour, beaten egg and fine breadcrumbs in bowls. 

Roll the eggplant mixture into walnut-sized balls and shape them into cylinders. Dredge them first in flour, then coat in beaten egg, then roll them in fine crumbs. Sprinkle a spoonful of the crumbs on a sheet pan and place the croquettes on it as they are shaped.

Dredge in flour.

Dip in egg, then roll in crumbs.

After breading, spread the croquettes on a tray to dry.

Allow the croquettes to dry at room temperature for 1 hour.

Place oil to a depth of 1 inch in a deep pan. Heat the oil until shimmering, but not smoking. Fry the croquettes, a few at a time, turning them as they brown. Remove when golden-brown and drain them on paper towels.

Drain excess oil on paper towels.

Serve the croquettes hot or room temperature. They can be reheated in a hot oven.

More recipes for eggplant love:

Fried Eggplant with Molasses.

Eggplant and Shrimp Rollups.

Moroccan Eggplant Salad (Zeilouk).

Roasted Eggplant with Cheese.

Pickled Eggplant, Almagro Style.

Eggplant Tortilla.

Meat-Stuffed Eggplant.

Eggplant Timbale.

Grilled Eggplant and Peppers (Escalivada).

Microwave Baba Ghanoush.