My Nonna's Easy Eggplant Patties
One of my fave family recipes, these eggplant patties are a great meat-free alternative. They're delicious hot and crispy or cold for lunch the next day.
It can take a few times to get these right, so my top tips would be:
- if the mixture seems too runny, add more breadcrumbs a little bit at a time.
- cook over a medium high heat so that they cook through slowly
- allow to cool as they firm up more as they cool. If they don;t seem cooked through pop them in the oven of a medium heat for about 10mins of so.
This makes about 12-15
Method
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Step 1. Chop eggplants into 4-5cm chunks. Put in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Boil until soft. You can boil the 3 eggs in the same saucepan, at the same time if you wish.
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Step 2. Once the eggplants are soft, drain in a colander and allow to cool. When cooled place in a bowl. Allow the boiled eggs to cool too, and once cooled peel.
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Step 3. Grate the eggs into the same bowl as the eggplant. Add the garlic, parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
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Step 4. Combine the mixture using your hands, like you would a dough. If it feels too wet, add a bit more breadcrumbs. The mixture should be firm enough for you to form a patty. You want them to be about the size of our palm when you form them into patties, and no thicker than about 1.5cm.
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Step 5. Put enough olive oil in a frypan so that it sits about 1cm up the side of the pan.
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Step 6. Cook over a medium high heat for about 2-2 1/2 mins each side or until golden brown. Line a plate with paper towel and as patties cook transfer to there to soak up a bit of the frying oil.
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Step 7. Allow to cool a little before eating as they will firm up more as they cool. Great with a tomato or rocket salad.
