Chef Maxwell's
Eggplant Beignets

Servings 15

3 medium eggplant, diced
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup raisin
¼ cup pecan, chopped
1 cup powdered sugar

Put the diced eggplant in a stockpot and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and cook for about 30 minutes. Drain and cool the eggplant. You should have about 1 cup of cooked eggplant. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until all ingredients are well blended. Add the eggplant, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Blend until a soft dough is formed. Add the raisins and chopped pecans. Drop the batter into hot fat, one beignet at a time. Cook until golden brown on all sides. Drain the beignets and dust with powered sugar.