Cajun Nut Fritters

Dice the eggplant, place in a colander, sprinkle lightly with salt, and let drain for 20 minutes.

Quickly rinse the contents of the colander under water and pat the eggplant cubes dry with a clean cloth.

Peel the garlic cloves.

Meanwhile, cook the collerettes pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

Wash and peel the earthy ends of the mushrooms.

Cut the pork hock, onions, and mushrooms into large pieces.

In a blender, chop the eggplant, onions, pork hock, mushrooms, and garlic. Do not puree, but make a coarse mince.

In a large pan, melt all the mixed ingredients with 30g of butter and 6 tablespoons of oil.

Season with pepper, add a teaspoon of paprika and a teaspoon of cumin.

Sprinkle with dried thyme and oregano.

Let simmer, covered, for 40 minutes, adjusting seasoning if necessary.

The mixture should be very tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the cashew breadcrumbs by blending the nuts.

In a large serving dish, mix the collerettes pasta with the chopped vegetables and pork hock, sprinkle with cashews and Parmesan, and add two or three grinds of black pepper.

Serve hot.