Eggplant with honey

Photo by Steve Shanahan First published Canberra Times 12 Feburary 2014

First published Canberra Times 12 February 2014

With eggplant season just around the corner, try this sneaky recipe, especially for those people with a loathing towards this humble veg. The Berenjenas Fritas Con Miel, a Spanish Tapa found throughout the south of Spain, turns this ordinary vegetable into succulent comfort food.

1 large eggplant

¼ cup cornflour

2 cups milk

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp good quality honey

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Sea salt and cracked pepper

Peel the eggplant and slice into half centimetre width rounds. Place the eggplant slices into an airtight container and top with milk until covered. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours.

In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with one teaspoon of salt. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium frypan over medium to high heat. Line a plate with paper towel.

When the oil is hot, dredge the eggplant slices in flour and tap off the excess. Gently place a few slices at the time in the frypan, cooking for about two to three minutes per side or until golden. Remove and place on the paper towel to drain.

Repeat with the remaining slices of eggplant, adding more oil to the frypan as needed.

Sprinkle the eggplant with a little sea salt and cracked pepper, then drizzle with honey and sprinkle with thyme.

This can be served as tapas, a dessert or as a side dish to a main meal.