RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Italian Eggplant Croquettes - dairy
When roasting the eggplant, go by the state of collapse of the eggplant rather than the timing in the recipe. When I skimp on the time of roasting and take the eggplant out when it is merely soft to the touch instead of wholly collapsed, the resulting dish is never as good. This hint applies to any recipe which calls for roasting an eggplant until it collapses. The original version of this recipe did not call for the onions to be sauteed before assembling the croquettes for final frying. Those of you who like a sharper taste of onion, may want to return to the original recipe and use raw onion in the mix. Karen Selwyn * * * * * * Italian Eggplant Croquettes for Hanukkah 3-4 Italian eggplants Olive oil for frying 3/4 cup onions, diced 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced 1/4 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 egg, beaten 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1-2 cloves garlic, minced finely Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil for frying Roast whole eggplant in 450 oven for 40 minutes or until skin collapses. Scoop out interior flesh and mash. Saute onions over very low heat until translucent and light golden. About five minutes before you declare the onions to be done, add the garlic to the saute pan. Combine all the ingredients. Fashion into 1-inch balls. Fry in very hot olive oil until golden brown. Serves 6. Lower-fat version: Follow recipe, adding 1-tablespoon olive oil to batter. Place on cookie sheets sprayed with non-stick spray; bake at 450, turning often, until crispy. Source: Adapted from "Hanukkah: Forget fear of frying, love those latkes" Beverly Levitt THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW (on-line edition), 12/21/97 [Greensburg, PA]
