Eggplant chips with sugarcane molasses

Berenjena frita con miel de caña

La Campana is quite possibly Málaga’s busiest tapas bar and this recipe is one of the house favourites. Whoever had the idea of pairing sticky-sweet sugarcane molasses with salty, deep-fried eggplant, I thank you from the bottom of my palate. Pure genius.

SERVES 4

155 g (5½ oz/1¼ cups) cornflour (cornstarch)

pinch of sea salt flakes

150 ml (5 fl oz) lager beer, very cold

1 egg white (free-range}

1 eggplant (aubergine), cut into batons (the thickness of your little finger)

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

2–3 tablespoons sugarcane molasses, for drizzling

To make the batter, combine the cornflour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the beer and whisk until well combined with no lumps.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white to form soft peaks. Fold into the batter, cover and set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Heat enough vegetable oil for deep-frying in a saucepan over medium heat. After 4–5 minutes, drop in a small amount of batter; when it floats and turns golden-brown in less than 1 minute the oil is at the right temperature (180°C/350°F).

Dip the eggplant batons into the chilled batter one at a time then gently slide into the hot oil. Deep-fry the chips in small batches for 1–2 minutes, until golden-brown; to allow the chips to cook quickly and evenly, don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel.

To serve, pile the eggplant chips onto a plate, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and drizzle with sugarcane molasses.

Note

Sugarcane molasses is available from specialty food stores and some health food stores. You can use golden syrup or honey instead.