The Spanish fried eggplant with honey is a tapa typical to the Cordoba region but popular all over Andalucia. You will find it on the menus as Spanish Berenjenas con miel. It is such a simple but great-tasting dish, perfect for a snack with a sweet kick. The eggplant’s texture is so crisp, just like a vegetable chip. You might find the honey drizzle on top quite off, but I promise you, it’s what makes this dish so special.
Without further ado, let me show you how to make the perfect crispy Spanish berenjenas con miel.
The Ingredients for the Spanish Berenjenas con Miel
Choose two small eggplants for this recipe. Opt for firm and shiny eggplants with smooth skin, as they indicate freshness. My grandma taught me to choose slimmer eggplants rather than rounder ones, as they cook more uniformly.
You’ll also need 500 ml of milk to soak the eggplant slices. Milk helps tenderize the eggplant and remove any bitterness.
For a perfect crispy crust, you will also need a mix of flour and breadcrumbs, to pass the eggplant through before frying. The sauce is made from runny honey and soy sauce. When heated, the honey will create a beautiful shiny glaze over the fried eggplant slices.
Traditionally, in Andalucia, where this recipe comes from, the frying is done in extra virgin olive oil and not just vegetable oil.
How to Make the Spanish Honey-Drizzled Eggplant
Prepare the Eggplant: Start by cutting the eggplants into slices and placing them in a bowl. Cover the slices with milk and let them soak for at least 2 hours. This step helps remove bitterness from the eggplant and tenderizes the flesh, contributing to crispy slices when fried.
Coat with Breadcrumbs: In a separate bowl, mix the flour and breadcrumbs. After 2 hours, remove the eggplant slices from the milk and pat them dry with kitchen towels. Pass each slice through the mixture of flour and breadcrumbs, ensuring they are evenly coated. Set the coated slices aside as it’s best to concentrate on one step at a time, rather than just coat and fry on the spot.
Fry the Eggplant: Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, insert a chopstick into the oil; if it starts bubbling, the oil is ready. Fry the coated eggplant slices in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown and crispy on both sides, then transfer the fried slices to a plate lined with kitchen towels to drain excess oil.
Prepare the Honey Sauce: While the eggplant is frying, prepare the honey sauce. In a small pot, combine the runny honey and soy sauce. Heat the mixture gently over low heat until warmed through, ensuring it does not boil. Stir well to combine the two ingredients into a smooth sauce.
Assemble and Serve: Once all the eggplant slices are fried, arrange them on a serving platter. Drizzle the warm honey sauce over the fried eggplant slices. Serve the Spanish fried eggplant with honey immediately while still hot.
Notes and Tips:
- Soaking the eggplant slices in milk helps remove the natural bitterness of the vegetable. Many people don’t like eggplant because of its bitterness, which you should remove before cooking.
- The soy sauce contributes to balancing the sweetness of the honey and making this dish an appetiser rather than a dessert. Traditionally this recipe used to be made with sugar syrup which is extremely sweet.
- Serve the Spanish fried eggplant with honey immediately after drizzling it with the sauce to preserve its crispy texture.
- To make this recipe dairy free, you can soak the eggplant in sparkling water rather than in milk.
Spanish Berenjenas con Miel Recipe – Honey-Drizzled Eggplant
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplants
- 500 ml milk you can also use sparkling water
- 5 tbsp flour
- 5 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants into slices and put them in a bowl.
- Cover with milk, and let the eggplants sit for at least 2 hours.
- Mix the flour with the breadcrumbs.
- After 2 hours, take the slices of eggplant out of the milk and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.
- Pass them through the mix of flour and breadcrumbs and set them aside.
- Heat the oil and start frying the slices of eggplant. The oil is ready when you stick a chopstick in it and it starts bubbling.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Take the slices out and let them drain from the excess oil on a kitchen towel.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot, add the honey with the soy sauce. Make sure it doesn’t start boiling, it just heats up and the two ingredients mix together.
- Place the fried eggplant on a platter and drizzle with the honey sauce.
- Serve hot.
FAQ:
Can I bake the eggplant instead of frying it?
While frying the eggplant results in a crispy texture and rich flavour, you can also bake the coated eggplant slices in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and tender. However, keep in mind that the texture may be slightly different from the fried version and the result won’t be as crispy.
Can I adjust the sweetness of the honey sauce?
Absolutely! Feel free to adjust the amount of honey to suit your personal preference. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice to balance out the sweetness and add a hint of acidity to the sauce.
Can I make this dish gluten-free?
Yes, you can easily make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs and a gluten-free flour blend. Be sure to check the labels of your ingredients to ensure they are free from gluten.
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