Eggplant bites

Name: Eggplant bites
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 35
Ingredients: Eggplant 1.8 lbs; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 4.2 oz; Breadcrumbs 1 cup; Eggs 1; Parsley to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Breadcrumbs to taste; Peanut seed oil to taste

Lactose Free
Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Makes: 35 pieces
Cost: Low
Note + resting time for the eggplant pulp (1 h)

PRESENTATION

Today it's raining meatballs... eggplant bites! Small, tempting morsels, golden and crispy on the outside and pleasantly soft inside, perfect to eat one after another. A simple and appetizing vegetarian recipe, ideal to serve as an alternative to classic Meatballs, which they really have nothing to envy!

Many Italian regions claim their origin, but one thing is certain: the recipe for eggplant bites has roots in Southern Italian cuisine, where in summer you harvest tender, sweet and flavorful eggplants. A genuine preparation that best showcases one of the hallmark vegetables of Mediterranean cuisine.

Follow our eggplant bites recipe to prepare a tasty finger food, ideal as a vegetarian appetizer, to enrich a buffet or to serve during an aperitif or happy hour with friends. Bring them to the table still hot and fragrant: it will be hard to resist the temptation of eating them with your hands in a single bite!

Don't miss these delicious variations:

INGREDIENTS

For about 35 bites: Eggplant 1.8 lbs (800 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 4.2 oz (120 g); Breadcrumbs 1 cup (120 g); Eggs 1; Parsley to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For breading and frying: Breadcrumbs to taste; Peanut seed oil to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Eggplant bites

To prepare the eggplant bites, first place the whole eggplants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and prick them with a fork 1. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 392F for one hour. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool slightly 2, then remove the skin 3.

Transfer the shredded flesh by hand into a colander set over a bowl, then place a weight such as a glass bowl on top 4 and let rest like this for about an hour (alternatively you can let them rest overnight in the refrigerator) 5. After this time, the eggplants will have released the excess liquid 6.

Shred the flesh further with a fork 7, then add the egg 8 and the parsley 9, season with salt and pepper.

Add the grated cheese 10 and the breadcrumbs 11. Mix the ingredients well with your hands until you obtain a uniform mixture 12.

Take about 20 g of the mixture at a time 13 — roughly 0.7 oz (about 1 1/3 tablespoons) — and shape into balls, then coat them in breadcrumbs 14. With these quantities you will make about 35 bites 15.

You're ready to fry: heat the vegetable oil to about 338F, then fry a few bites at a time 16 for a couple of minutes, until golden. Drain 17 and transfer to paper towels 18.