Berenjenas Fritas Con Miel Receta – Berenjenas Con Miel Españolas

I miss the  tapas culture in Seville  every day.

One of the reasons? Crispy fried eggplant with honey.

This tapa is especially popular in Seville and Malaga and is one of the best  vegetarian tapas  I've ever had. Luckily, it's not hard to do at home.

Not a fan of honey or want a vegan version? Most traditional  honey eggplant recipes  actually use "  miel de cana  ", which literally translates to "sugar cane honey". It is a very high quality molasses from the province of Malaga. If you can't get this, try them with honey, or choose something totally different (but also very popular, authentic and delicious) and serve them with  salmorejo  !

Here is the recipe for Honey Fried Eggplants that I learned from my mother-in-law,  Antonia  .

Main ingredients

Key Ingredients: eggplants, milk, salt, pepper, flour, olive oil, honey or molasses

See also:  8 delicious fried tapas recipes from Spain

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Eggplants  – So the eggplants are the star of the show here, but if you must substitute them for some reason, your best bet is to try this with zucchini. The result will not be exactly the same, but it will still taste delicious. However, it is not necessary to soak the zucchini in milk, and I would cut slightly larger pieces.
• Milk  : This is optional. It is a way to remove the bitterness found in many eggplants. I prefer it to salting the eggplant (but you can do that too!). Or, if your eggplant isn't bitter (some varieties aren't) skip this step entirely!
• Olive Oil  : As in all Spanish fried foods, olive oil (preferably virgin or extra virgin) is the oil of choice. Read why here  . If you must substitute, any neutral frying oil will do.
• Honey  : As mentioned above, the most traditional dressing is not honey, but molasses (  cane honey  ). But many tapas bars also serve them with honey and they are delicious. Another option is to serve them with  extra thick  salmorejo . Or serve half and half!

Fried Eggplants with Honey: Step By Step

Follow this tutorial and in just a few steps you'll have  delicious, crispy honey fried eggplants  ready to enjoy! For the full printable recipe (including exact amounts), scroll down to the recipe card.

Steps 1-2:  Start by cutting the eggplant into matchsticks (some prefer rounds; any shape works fine). Then cover with the milk and a good pinch of salt. Soak the eggplant for at least 30 minutes (preferably an hour) to draw out the bitterness. Then discard the milk and pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels.

Steps 3-4  : Season a bowl of flour with salt and pepper and lightly flour the eggplants. Heat about an inch of olive oil in a heavy skillet and when hot (but not smoking) add the eggplant in batches. Fry on both sides (if not completely submerged in oil) until golden brown.

Steps 5-6  : Once browned, drain each batch of eggplants on paper towels.

Steps 7-8  : Season the fried eggplants with sea salt, then drizzle with honey or molasses. If serving with salmorejo, serve salmorejo on the side for dipping. Enjoy it right away!

Recipe Tips & FAQs

What makes eggplants soak in milk?

Soaking eggplants in milk is a great way to remove bitterness from eggplants. Simply cover with milk for at least 30 minutes, and then drain and pat dry. The eggplant will have released most of its bitterness and will also have absorbed some of the milk, making it creamier in your recipe.

Should you peel the eggplant before frying it?

You can peel the eggplants before frying if you wish, but I prefer to keep the skin. It gives more texture to the final dish and is more nutritious.

What is cane honey?

Miel de caña is Spanish for "cane honey" or molasses. The best cane honey in Spain comes from Malaga in Andalusia. It is a sweet, dark colored, slightly bitter syrup that is delicious on top of fried foods.

Can you reheat leftover honey eggplant?

Sure, you can (if you do, I recommend heating them in the oven on high for a few minutes to crisp them up a bit). But, like most fried foods, these fried eggplants are best fresh.