(Makes 12-15)
Salt
26 oz (750g) eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes
⅓ cup grated pecorino cheese
⅓ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tblsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
About ¾ cup bread crumbs, plus extra for breading
Vegetable oil for frying
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously. Add the cubed eggplant and boil for about 10 minutes, or until the eggplant is very tender. Drain and let cool to the touch.
Squeeze the excess water out of the eggplant and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add the cheeses, eggs, garlic, parsley, plenty of black pepper, and a big pinch of salt. Add about half of the bread crumbs and begin mixing the ingredients by hand.
Continue to add more bread crumbs until the mixture is soft and moldable, but not too wet or sticky. The amount of breadcrumbs needed will vary, so trust your judgment.
Fill a deep pan with about 1 inch of vegetable oil and heat over med/high heat. Meanwhile, form the meatball mix into about 15 polpette. Form them into balls about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter. Dust the polpette in bread crumbs.
Once the oil is at 350°F., working in batches, carefully drop the eggplant polpette into the pan, like anything deep fried, don't overcrowd the pan, I fried 4-6 at a time. Turn them frequently and fry until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes in total. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
Serve the polpette warm and fresh. Buon appetito!