Polpette di Melanzane

Party recipesJul 28 20150 Comments

IMG_4033_Fotor

Difficulty:Easy Time:Long

INGREDIENTS (x 4 persons):

  • - 2 large aubergines
  • - 1 egg
  • - 1 handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • - 1 handful Italian Pecorino romano cheese
  • - 1 small handful of flat parsley, finely chopped
  • - Salt and pepper (optional)
  • - 2 tablespoons with breadcrumbs plus what is needed for the breaded meatballs
  • - few mint leaves, finely chopped
  • - 2 tablespoons olive oil

WHAT TO DO:

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Wrap the aubergines in aluminum foil and place them on a baking sheet. Cook them wrapped up for about 45 minutes until they become soft.
  • 2. Then, take them out from the oven, remove the foil and let them cool down. At this point, cut each aubergine in two halves and with a spoon, remove the inner pulp, scraping well all around the peel. Make sure you remove the seeds as they are bitter and  can ruin the taste of the “polpette”.
  • 3. Place the pulp in a strainer, which is set on a bowl. Cover with a plate that has a slightly smaller diameter than the strainer. Place a weight on the plate to create pressure on the aubergines and allow for the removal of excess liquid. Leave all of this in position for about 15 minutes.
  • 4. Take the aubergines out of the strainer, chop them well with a knife, and put them into a large bowl. Add the egg, the grated cheese, parsley and mint, breadcrumbs to the veggies. Adjust with a pinch salt and pepper (optional).
  • 5. Pour a slug of olive oil on the bottom of a baking tray that you covered with a baking paper earlier. Pick some of the mix with wet hands and mould a little ball which you will roll in the breadcrumbs.
  • 6. Bake all the balls for about 40 minutes, but ensure turning the meatballs after 20 minutes. They need to get a golden and crusty surface. Serve them warm. Enjoy!

TIPS & TRICKS:

  • - Due to the nature of the aubergine, the final mix can feel too soft to be moulded. In that case, add some extra breadcrumbs to the mix.
  • - Be very careful when you turn the “polpette” in the oven because they can still be very soft and  break easily.
  • - These polpette are also very tasty when you add minced meat, such as beef.