Mama's Eggplant Fritters

I used to live for "eggplant season", when my mom would fix a batch of these golden brown lip-smackers. You can call them fritters, you can call them eggplant beignets (pronounced "ben-yay"), or anything you want to, as long as you call me over to have some when you make them.

1 med eggplant
1 tsp salt

1 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten

4 - 6 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder

2-1/2 cups flour
6 cups water


Peel and cube eggplant into 1" chunks. Put eggplant, salt, & water into large pot over medium high heat and cook until chunks are soft & dark green. Remove from heat & drain away liquid. Transfer eggplant into a bowl, add sugar, then let cool for about 15 minutes. Add the egg & mix well. Add vanilla & mix well. Sift in flour & baking powder & mix well. (The exact amount of flour may vary due to the fact that all eggplant are not created equal in size. This is a fact. I checked. 

The difficult part of this recipe is getting the consistency of the batter correct. It shouldn't be so thin as to run off the spoon, nor so dry that it won't come off at all. Using your fingers to remove the batter from the spoon is ok. :-} ) 

Using a regular small spoon, drop the batter, one spoonful at a time, into oil heated to 350ºF. (They swell up.) I like to use a rectangular electric fry pan; mostly because that's the kind I own. Fry each "glob" of batter until golden brown on both sides. This means you have to flip them over at some point, ok? Note: THESE CAN BURN. You have to keep watching them, or they'll burn on the underside because THEY DON'T FLOAT. Remove them when done by scooping them out onto paper towels or clean newspaper. (Is there such a thing, really?) THEY ARE NOW VERY HOT. 

Allow to cool to where you can pick them up with your bare hand. They are probably STILL VERY, VERY HOT on the INSIDE. This recipe yields about 3 dozen fritters. If you've never had them before, try dusting them with confectioners' sugar. If your family has had them before, try getting to them first.

chef unknown.....