Berenjenas con Miel
(beh-ren-HEH-nahs kohn myell)
Chapter 3: Hot Tapas
When done poorly, fried eggplant is a tragic, oily sponge. When done right—as you will find in the raucous taverns of Córdoba—it is a study in contrasts: a greaseless, shattering crust giving way to a molten interior, all dragged through a slick of dark, bitter-sweet molasses. The secret to that tempura-like crunch without being chained to the stove is soaking the batons in ice-cold sparkling water beforehand to plug their porous cells, leaving you with nothing but a quick, high-heat flash fry when your guests are ready to eat.
Before you start
Submerge the eggplant batons in the sparkling water.
Place the batons in a large bowl and cover them completely with the ice-cold water, weighing them down with a small plate. You can do this up to four hours before your guests arrive; the soak halts oxidation and fills the air pockets to prevent oil absorption.
Set up the dredging station.
In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, and kosher salt, keeping a fine-mesh sieve resting over a dry bowl nearby.
Ingredients
- firm eggplants2 med
- sparkling water1 qt
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- chickpea flour1/4 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- olive oil3 cup
- flaky sea salt1 tbsp
- miel de caña1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Bring the olive oil to frying temperature.
Pour two inches of olive oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven and heat to 350°F.
- 02
Dredge the eggplant straight from the water.
Working in handful-sized batches, pull the batons from the soaking liquid without drying them, dropping them directly into the flour mixture.
- 03
Shake the batons aggressively in the fine-mesh sieve.
Transfer the floured eggplant to the sieve and shake it hard over the bowl, ensuring only a microscopic, transparent layer of flour remains on the damp batons.
- 04
Flash-fry the eggplant until golden and stiff.
Carefully drop the batons into the hot oil and fry for exactly two to three minutes without overcrowding the pan.
- 05
Cool for exactly sixty seconds before salting.
Transfer the fried batons to a wire rack and wait one minute before sprinkling generously with flaky sea salt, preventing the residual heat from melting the salt and ruining the crust.
- 06
Plate high and drizzle aggressively with syrup.
Pile the batons in a rustic tower on a warm plate, drizzle heavily with the miel de caña in a zig-zag pattern, and serve immediately while still audibly crisp.
Notes
Source the right syrup.
Authentic miel de caña is a dark, complex sugar cane molasses from Andalusia, not bee honey. If you cannot find it, substitute a mild American baking molasses or a fifty-fifty blend of dark molasses and dark honey; regular supermarket honey is too cloying and floral for this dish.
Skip the paper towels.
Always drain fried eggplant on a wire cooling rack; paper towels will trap the steam and immediately ruin the crunch of the bottom layer.