Fried Eggplant Balls (Polpette di Melanzane)

Crispy and cheesy, these fried eggplant balls (polpette di melanzane) are a fantastic appetizer. I promise you won't be able to stop eating these!

I tried to be virtuous. I could have figured out a way to bake these rather than fry them. I caved. I'm weak. What can I say? But let's look at this another way. About 2 years ago, I was terrified of deep-frying anything - not because of the extra calories, but because of an overwhelming fear of singeing my eyebrows and going up in flames à la Michael Jackson. Well, I got over it and now there's no stopping me. I have fried risotto balls, donuts, pakoras, and English muffins filled with Nutella (seriously - these are drop-dead good. I'll share the recipe at some point). I am happy to say that I have not ventured into the fried Twinkie and Oreo realm. The line has to be drawn somewhere.

This recipe is slightly adapted from one I found in Marcella Hazan's book, Marcella Cucina. If you are not familiar with Marcella Hazan, let me introduce you to the queen of Italian cuisine. Her cookbooks are packed with classic and innovative recipes and, as most great chefs do, she promotes the use of fresh ingredients. She looks like the quintessential Italian nonna, which makes me want to try her recipes that much more.

This recipe is a brilliant way to cook with eggplant. A savory eggplant mixture is formed into balls, breaded, and fried. When you bite into them...surprise!...there's a gooey piece of melted mozzarella. Come on, how can you resist?

Be aware that the photos will not reflect the written recipe amounts because I made a smaller portion for my family.

Cut 2-3 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds total) into ½-inch thick slices.

Line a large colander with as many eggplant slices as possible and sprinkle the slices generously with salt. Lay another layer of slices on top of the first layer and sprinkle with salt. Continue until all of the eggplant slices are in the colander. Set the colander in a sink or over a large bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. The eggplant will release some liquid while resting.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pat the eggplant slices dry with a paper towel. Place the slices on a baking so that they lay in a single layer.

Set the baking sheet in the upper portion of the oven and bake until the eggplant slices are tender and dry, about 30 minutes.

Place the eggplant slices in a food processor and pulse a few time to chop. Be careful not to chop it too fine. This took 3-4 pulses in my processor. Of course, you can always chop the eggplant by hand.

Scrape the eggplant into a bowl and add ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, and ¼ cup bread crumbs.

Mix well.

Whisk a second egg in a medium bowl. Gradually beat in 1 ½ tablespoons flour to form a smooth batter.

Pour 1 cup of dry bread crumbs onto a plate or shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Roll each eggplant ball into the egg/flour batter and then roll in the breadcrumbs. You can prepare all of the balls up to 2 or 3 hours in advance of frying them.

In a large skillet, heat ½-inch vegetable or canola oil over medium-high heat to about 375 degrees F. When you drop some of the egg batter in the oil, the batter should sizzle and immediately float to the top. On the first go-round, I heated the oil too high and the eggplant balls were black in about 5 seconds. I turned down the heat to medium and all was well for the next batch.

With a slotted spoon, lower the eggplant balls into the oil. You'll have to do this in several batches. Once the balls are golden brown all over, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining batches.

These can be served hot or room temperature. I love flexible food! Top each ball with a small dollop of plain Greek yogurt and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Other eggplant recipes:

Cookin' Canuck's Eggplant & White Wine Polenta Stacks with Fresh Basil Sauce

Simply Recipes' Eggplant & Red Pepper Terrine

Bitten's Cold Eggplant Salad with Sesame Dressing

Fried Eggplant Balls with Melted Mozzarella Centers

Adapted from a recipe by Marcella Hazan

2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds total)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, plus more for garnish

2 eggs

1 ¼ cup fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs, divided

1 ½ tablespoon flour

3 ounces bocconcini or 1-inch cubes of fresh mozzarella (about 1 ½ cups)

Canola or vegetable oil

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

Cut the eggplant into ½-inch thick slices. Line a large colander with as many eggplant slices as possible and sprinkle the slices generously with salt. Lay another layer of slices on top of the first layer and sprinkle with salt. Continue until all of the eggplant slices are in the colander. Set the colander in a sink or over a large bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. The eggplant will release some liquid while resting.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pat the eggplant slices dry with a paper towel. Place the slices on a baking so that they lay in a single layer. Set the baking sheet in the upper portion of the oven and bake until the eggplant slices are tender and dry, about 30 minutes. Place the eggplant slices in a food processor and pulse a few time to chop. Be careful not to chop it too fine. Alternatively, chop the eggplant by hand.

Scrape the eggplant into a bowl and add the Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, and ¼ cup bread crumbs. Mix well.

Whisk a second egg in a medium bowl. Gradually beat in the flour to form a smooth batter. Pour 1 cup of dry bread crumbs onto a plate or shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Form the eggplant mixture into balls slightly smaller than ping pong balls. Insert a bocconcini (mini mozzarella ball) or 1-inch cube of fresh mozzarella into each eggplant ball. Roll again in your hands so that the mozzarella is no longer visible.Roll each eggplant ball into the egg/flour batter and then roll in the breadcrumbs. You can prepare all of the balls up to 2 or 3 hours in advance of frying them.

In a large skillet, heat ½-inch vegetable or canola oil over medium-high heat to about 375 degrees F. When you drop some of the egg batter in the oil, the batter should sizzle and immediately float to the top. With a slotted spoon, lower the eggplant balls into the oil. You'll have to do this in several batches. Once the balls are golden brown all over, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining batches.

These can be served hot or room temperature. I love flexible food! Top each ball with a small dollop of plain Greek yogurt and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Makes about 25 balls.

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