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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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2
Cut the eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place them on layers of paper towels.
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3
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and let stand 30 minutes.
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4
Get two large baking sheets and brush them with oil.
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5
Pat the eggplant slices dry (they should have given off a lot of water from the salting) and arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheets.
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6
Brush them lightly with olive oil and bake in the 350 degree F oven until the slices are tender and dry, about 1 hour.
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7
Let the slices cool slightly, then chop them coarsely and set aside.
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8
In a bowl whisk together 1 egg, the grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
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9
Stir in the chopped eggplant.
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10
The resulting mixture will be soft.
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11
Get a plate and spread 1 cup of the breadcrumbs on it.
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12
In another bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and the flour.
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13
Take the eggplant mixture and shape spoonfuls of it into 1 1/4-inch balls.
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14
Press a piece of the cubed mozzarella into the center of each ball, making sure the cheese is covered well.
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15
Individually dip the eggplant balls into the egg batter and then roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat.
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16
In a large deep pan or deep fryer, heat the oil to medium high temperature (350 degrees F ).
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17
(If using a pan, make sure the oil is about a depth of 1/4 inch.)
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18
Saute the balls in batches, turning often, each batch taking about 4 minutes.
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19
With a slotted spoon remove the cooked fritters and drain them well on paper towels.
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20
Keep the batches warm until youve made them all.
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21
Sprinkle with salt to taste and serve immediately.
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22
Goes well with an entree salad, or as appetizers.
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23
*Note: smoked mozzarella is also called mozzarella affumicata, and is available at some specialty foods stores and at cheese shops.
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24
Ive found it easily available at Trader Joes.
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25
If you cant find the smoked variety, feel free to use regular mozzarella.
