Berenjenas Fritas con Miel

Berenjenas fritas con miel is a traditional dish from Andalusia. Thin slices of aubergine are fried until golden and crisp, then drizzled just before serving with honey or, in classic Andalusian style, cane syrup. The combination of savoury, crispy aubergine with sweet syrup creates a surprising and typically Spanish contrast. Perfect as tapas or as a simple side dish.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 15 minutes
Cooking: approx. 15 minutes
Total time: approx. 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium aubergines
• 150 ml milk
• 100 g flour
• mild olive oil for frying
• 2–3 tbsp runny honey
• (or, traditionally: miel de caña / cane syrup)
• salt, to taste

Preparation

• Slice the aubergine
  Wash the aubergines and remove the stalk ends. Slice the aubergines into thin rounds about 5 mm thick.
• Soak the aubergine in milk
  Put the aubergine slices in a bowl. Pour over the milk, add a small pinch of salt and make sure the slices are as submerged as possible. Leave to soak for 15 minutes.
• Dry the aubergine
  Remove the aubergine slices from the milk and let them drain briefly in a colander. Then pat the slices thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. This prevents splattering in the hot oil and makes the aubergine crispier later.

Method

1. Heat the oil
   Heat a generous layer of mild olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan or in a deep fryer to about 170–180 °C. If you don’t have a thermometer, test with a small piece of bread or a scrap of aubergine: it should start bubbling immediately and colour lightly within a few seconds.
2. Coat the slices in flour
   Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Dip the aubergine slices one by one in the flour so they are lightly coated on both sides. Gently shake off any excess flour.
3. Fry the aubergine
   Fry the aubergine slices in small batches in the hot oil. Fry on both sides until golden and crisp; this usually takes 1–2 minutes per side. Make sure the oil stays hot enough and that the slices do not overlap.
4. Drain and salt
   Remove the fried slices with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. While still warm, sprinkle lightly with salt.
5. Finish with honey
   Arrange the aubergines on a serving platter. Drizzle just before serving with 2–3 tablespoons of runny honey or, for a more traditional flavour, with a thin trickle of miel de caña (cane syrup).
6. Serve the aubergine
   Serve the aubergines straight away, while they are still warm and crisp. They are particularly delicious as part of a tapas platter, but also as a side dish with, for example, chicken with garlic and lemon, grilled meat or a simple green salad.