It's funny, I've never cared for eggplant- but I adore these! The secret is in the bread soaked in whole milk. Actually I'm finding there are a lot of foods I "Don't care for," that I love when they're incorporated into specific recipes.
Rich. Delicate. Bursting with creamy cheesiness on the inside. Seared and crispy on the outside. (And honestly, between you and me, they don't even taste like eggplant! Perhaps ever-so-slightly, but in a good way.)
These meatballs will not disappoint. The proof being that my husband, a meat-and-potatoes guy, loves them. He even went so far as to say they're some of the best meatballs he's ever had! If that's not a testament...
They couldn't be easier. Feel free to use your favorite jarred marinara or make my Roasted Tomato Sauce which I have in the freezer from last summer's abundant tomato crop. (Roasting works wonders on any old mealy winter tomato so don't be afraid to make the sauce in the middle of winter either.)
Eggplant Parmigiana Meatballs (Serves 4)
1 Large Eggplant (Skin optional, I like it on since it has all the vitamins)
Salt to taste
2 Slices of Bread, Day-old (or lightly toast to obtain similar texture)
1 Cup Whole Milk
2 Eggs Lightly Beaten
1 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino Romano
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
1/2 Cup Panko
1/3 Cup Flour, plus more for dredging
1/4- 1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pan w/ a thin layer)
24 Ounces Roasted Tomato Sauce (or store bought)
1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
Chop the eggplant (3/8 to 1/2 inch cubes). Sprinkle with salt. Steam for about 8-9 minutes, or until quite soft (err on the side of OVER versus under-cooking). Allow eggplant to cool. Squeeze out excess water.
Meanwhile, break up the bread with your hands and add to a bowl with the milk. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the bread to soak up the milk. Squeeze as much of the milk out of the bread as you can with your hands and add to a separate large bowl (discarding leftover milk). Add the eggplant to the bowl along with the eggs, grated cheeses, panko, salt to season and 1/3 cup flour.
Mix the ingredients until well incorporated.
Using your hands, form the mixture into golfball sized balls. (Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil first to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.) If the mixture it is too wet to form loose meatballs, add a bit more panko and flour. DO NOT OVERWORK the mixture as this will create a tough meatball. Dredge the balls lightly in flour using a spoon to help coat the top.
Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the meatballs carefully to the pan in a single layer and brown on all sides, gently turning as you go with a slim metal spatula. Once the meatballs are completely browned remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the Roasted Tomato Sauce (or store bought sauce) to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and return the meatballs to the pan WITHOUT SUBMERGING THEM, as you don't want to totally lose all of their crispy browned goodness. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle in parsley. Serve sprinkled with additional Parmigiano and the shredded mozzarella. Enjoy!
Email me if you'd like this recipe Veganized, Raw-Veganized, Dairy-freed or Gluten-freed:)
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This gets 2 thumbs up and 12 paws up! 2 drooling labs and a cat that thinks he is a lab couldn't get enough of the leftovers on our plates as I cleaned up.
Posted by: Nancy | Saturday, February 05, 2011 at 07:56 PM
So funny cute! Happy to hear the meatballs were a hit with everyone:-)
Posted by: Juliane | Saturday, February 05, 2011 at 11:52 PM