This is the second time I’ve tried a recipe using eggplant to make meatless “balls.”
I was buying the eggplants at TJ and they don’t have scales. Recipe said 2-3 eggplants, 2.5 lbs. They were small ones so I bought 4. Weighed when I got home … 2 came to about 2.5 lbs so I doubled the other ingredients + of course, included more than one little clove of garlic in each batch. I also added fresh basil leaves to the mixture in the Cuisinart.
I was afraid of warping my half sheet pans at 550 so baked them at 450. The next day I simmered them in thawed homemade tomato sauce … they are very fragile! They taste much better after being in the sauce. If you avoid meat, I think this is a good recipe to have. I boiled up some penne for it.
I made RR’s eggplant meatballs a couple years ago just to try it out (as a side dish) and posted a photo on WFD. The problem with her eggplant patties which I made into meatballs was that it was a splattery mess because they were shallow fried in oil. Way too moist. Baking is definitely the way to go with eggplant meatballs like your recipe. I also made a note that they were just ok. Probably because of all the trouble I went through for a side dish.
I baked them on parchment paper, tried to brown them … some bottoms were a little too brown but not really a problem. Like I said, I thought they were much better after simmering (briefly) in tomato sauce.
I read that vegetarians, in general, have better cholesterol numbers. Many days per week, I eat a vegetarian diet. We all usually, out of habit, just eat the way we were raised. When I make quiche and a salad, for instance, I really don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
I was in a hurry to get out of the house and take them to an ill friend in the hospital (she still has an appetite! but I’m so sad for her that my appetite is gone!) that I didn’t have time to do the fresh sprinkle of parm. She didn’t miss it!
I probably ate this 3-4 days in a row (cold, standing up at the kitchen counter!) froze some “balls in sauce” for a friend, dropped off the rest of balls and penne to another friend. I was very surprised when he called me last night to say he was eating the balls cold and loved them and that it was hard to believe they were made without meat. He wants the recipe!
I buy large jars of roasted aubergine puree from my local Turkish mini market. I’m thinking I might be able to strain and use that product to make these balls.
Thanks for this tip, @Aubergine! I followed in your footsteps because I had a lot of CSA eggplant to use. I’m hoping to find an eggplant preparation that might lend itself to freezing. (I usually just make an eggplant tian by brushing eggplant slices in olive oil and baking that in tomato sauce. But I don’t think my tian is a great candidate for freezing—risk of mushy eggplant.)
We ate part of the eggplant “meatballs” dressed up like eggplant parmigiana. I’m now noticing that my photo makes it look like I used a mountain of cheese. I swear there’s less cheese than it appears.
I froze the rest in one layer with sauce (no cheese) in a small aluminum container, such as you might use for a small lasagna. That will be my test run to see how well this recipe freezes.
With this recipe, I did find myself wanting a textural contrast between the outside surface of the “meatball” and the insides like you’d find with an actual meatball or falafel. I’m wondering if maybe a toasted panko + microplaned parmesan coating might work for this? Anyway, I hope to get time to tinker with this recipe to see if I can fully get what I’m after.
I should have elaborated: As you did, I prepared the meatless meatballs in advance of mealtime. Refrigerated them after baking.
Here’s where I diverged from the recipe: I brushed the outsides of the “meatballs”with olive oil before baking but I can’t say if that helps them be less fragile. I also departed from the recipe by baking the meatballs in the tomato sauce for about 20 minutes at 380
F in the oven (convection setting) rather than simmering them in sauce to rewarm. I enjoy the way tomato sauce reduces in the oven and sort of glazes the eggplant. Though I had to be careful while plating, the meatballs held together.
The reason I’m still on the fence about them is that I didn’t love the texture enough to warrant the time and effort involved compared with the ease of the eggplant tian I usually make with eggplant in season.
All this said, the idea of switching things up and potentially having a preparation that freezes well (testing that) makes me want to experiment more to see if I can fit this recipe to match my exact preference.
For our household that likes eggplant and finds themselves with a plentiful amount in CSA season—all worth it!
