Eggplant Chips with Honey
I am a fan of chips…potato, tortilla, zucchini but Eggplant Chips with Honey and balsamic was a new one for me.
One summer evening, I was fortunate enough to try them for tapas in Madrid. I had no idea what to expect. Imagine my surprise when they came out warm and razor thin, curled up from cooking much like a hand-made potato chip. But the richness of the eggplant creates a unique flavor. If you have had typical restaurant-style zucchini chips, they are nothing like them. Usually, zucchini chips are breaded and thick and nothing like these crispy little tapas! If you like anything eggplant, or even if you don’t, I implore you to give these a try.
6 Simple Ingredients
Eggplant Chips with Honey are a perfect “once-in-awhile” snack on the top of the Mediterranean Diet food pyramid. Yes these are healthy ingredients, but they are still pan fried. You can air fry them (and I will try soon) but I am not sure the desired curls will form. I rarely fry, but there are some snacks that require it, and this is one of them. The ingredients could not be any simpler:
- Eggplant
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
Why I love Eggplant Chips with Honey
I am a fan of using eggplant for delicious tapas. Check out Olive Sunshine’s Eggplant Bruschetta
Eggplant Chips with honey and balsamic are crisp on the edges. The folds where the chips curl is just a tiny bit chewy. These are pan-fried and then baked. The curls are where the magic happens. The savory sweetness from the honey and balsamic sticks inside the chewy curls. Yum, my mouth waters thinking about it. Eggplant tapas would be perfect when you and your girlfriends are having a wine night. Did I tell you it goes perfectly with a nice Rioja (when in Madrid 😊).
I was a bit intimidated when I first planned to make these chips. The reason? Thin slicing and eggplant is not easy but it is crucial to this tapas! It is important to have a mandolin or another tool to slice the eggplant. It would take a great deal of skill to get the razor thin. I used my Kitchen Aid slicer attachment. It took me a few goes to get it to the desired thinness. It is entirely worth the effort. These are quickly pan-fried and then baked. Drizzle them with the honey and balsamic mixture and pile them high on a plate. They will look as delicious as they taste! Let me know what you think after you have tried them.
Looking for other Mediterranean Diet friendly tapas recipes? Look no further Olive Sunshine has you covered! Tapas Recipes
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425. If you have a convection feature of the oven, this works well and could be used. Wash the eggplant and dry completely. Leaving the skin on, thinly slice the eggplant. The slices should be the thickness of a typical tortilla chip. Arrange each slice on a baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt to sweat. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
While sweating the eggplant, mix the honey and balsamic vinegar. Set aside. The amount of balsamic may vary depending on the thickness of the vinegar. It should be more easily poured than honey, but not thin like an oil-based dressing.
When the eggplant is ready, gently pat each slice with a clean towel or paper towel to remove any excess liquid and salt. Set aside.
Coat a heavy-bottom pan with extra virgin olive oil. Turn the burner to medium-high heat, heat the oil. Working in batches add the eggplant chips in a layer. Carefully, using a spatula fry the eggplant, stirring and flipping frequently. Once curled and softened. transfer to a baking sheet. Continue until all of the eggplant is on the baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and cook until crispy and golden, approximatlely 5-7 minutes.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a quality salt (I used a flake salt). Transfer to a paper-towel lined towel to cool (2-3 minutes). Pile serving dish and drizzle with the honey and balsamic sauce.
