Berenjena En Salmorejo (Fried Eggplant With Salmorejo Sauce)
Crispy flour-and-cornmeal fried eggplant strips served with a cold Spanish salmorejo sauce of blended tomatoes, olive oil, and sherry vinegar, garnished with hard-boiled egg and cured ham.
Ingredients
- 3 slice white bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb ripe beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and seeded
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 0.3 cup Spanish olive oil
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar
- 1 each hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
- 0.5 cup finely chopped Spanish cured ham
- 1 lb eggplant, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
- 2 cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
Instructions
- 1
Soak the bread in the water for a few minutes. In a food processor, blend the soaked bread, tomatoes, and garlic until smooth. Add vinegar and olive oil; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with chopped egg and ham.
- 2
Season eggplant strips with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow bowl, add milk, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
- 3
Preheat fryer oil to 365°F. Combine flour and cornmeal in a shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Remove eggplant from milk, letting excess drip off. Dredge in the flour-cornmeal mixture, coating completely.
- 5
Fry in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- 6
Serve fried eggplant on a large platter alongside the salmorejo sauce. Garnish with parsley.