Eggplant/Aubergine

[Shaya]

Some people are sensitive to the bitterness (almost a "hotness") in aubergines. My Mom taught me at a young age that aubergines need to be deep fried to lose that unpleasant (to some) characteristic.

The possibilities are endless:

- dice and fry - then add to pasta sauce

- cut into lengths and fry - then stuff with basil and fresh mozarella, roll and bake topped with tomato sauce and parmigiano

- or make Moussaka

- cut into rounds, place a piece of fresh mozarella and basil, then do an eggwash and deep fry - golden eggplant sandwiches

[Sunny Simmons Steincamp]

While I'll happily eat aubergines/eggplant any way you set it in front of me, my absolute favorite way is to take thin, battered, fried slices and use them as the "noodles" in a chunky veggie lasagna. Mmm, mmm, good.

[tim]

Eggplant,

My favorite is Rosa Bianco sliced thick, salted, drained and then pressed to a cardboard consistancy. Then slather on a garlic, balsamic, EVOO paste with a 1:2:3 parts ratio. Finally, broil about 8 minutes on a side to a nice brown color. (Complements of Cook's Illustrated)

We also roast small whole eggplant at very high heat until soft. Split in half at the table and drizzle with EVOO and good salt.

Then there is baba ganouj!

Wonderful flavors!

Tim

[nikkib]

Eggplant,

My favorite is Rosa Bianco sliced thick, salted, drained and then pressed to a cardboard consistancy.  Then slather on a garlic, balsamic, EVOO paste with a 1:2:3 parts ratio.  Finally, broil about 8 minutes on a side to a nice brown color.  (Complements of Cook's Illustrated)

We also roast small whole eggplant at very high heat until soft.  Split in half at the table and drizzle with EVOO and good salt.

Then there is baba ganouj!

Wonderful flavors!

Tim

←

ooo yeah babaganoush is great - give that a go...

[russ parsons]

eggplant definitely needs to be cooked thoroughly. in my experience, though, salting is only necessary when you're going to be frying them. seems the salt draws out moisture, collapsing cells, which then absorb oil nicely (this is just my take, based only on observation, not on electron microscopes). sauteed, salted eggplant has a much "plusher" texture. when i grilled eggplant salted and unsalted side-by-side, i really couldn't tell the difference. salting also takes more time than you might expect. i found that it needed at least a good 60 minutes and preferably 90 minutes. be sure to do it in a colander, too, so the liquid can drain rather than collect and be reabsorbed.

the good news is that there's an incredibly easy way to make really spectacular eggplant that few people seem to have thought about: steaming. it had never occurred to me, but when i was writing about all the different varieties of eggplant, i did a taste test and steamed them in order to get the most neutral cooking method. i was amazed--they all tasted great (and, more or less, they all tasted like eggplant; varietal differences are more about texture and seed ratio). try this: steam eggplant until quite soft and then toss it in a fairly garlicky vinaigrette. sprinkle with herbs. it's really delicious.

[Charlie O]

Traditionally aubergine is supposed to be salted so that the moisture draws out the bitterness.

I've read in a few places that modern aubergines have been bred (at least in the UK) so that they don't need this step - since I've stopped doing it I haven't noticed much of a difference.

[russ parsons]

Traditionally aubergine is supposed to be salted so that the moisture draws out the bitterness.

←

actually, i'm afraid that's one of those old cooking myths, like soaking beans to remove the gas. there are several other competing claims, equally invalid: seedy eggplants are bitter; male eggplants are bitter (actually, of course, they're fruit, neither male nor female); eggplants with protuding tips are bitter ...

eggplant gets bitter when it starts to go over the hill (don't we all?). the thing most people forget is that eggplant is, technically, a tropical fruit and so, despite its appearance, it is fairly tender. technically, eggplant shouldn't even be refrigerated (leave it in the fridge a couple of days and you'll start to see soft spots--that's chill damage).

salting removes moisture and if you taste that moisture, it is bitter. but that's not the same thing as removing bitternes (there's plenty more left behind).

[Sony]

eggplant gets bitter when it starts to go over the hill (don't we all?).

I'd like to try steaming eggplant. Should I leave it whole?

My favorite way to eat eggplant in the way my mom taught me. Slice eggplant into fairly thin rounds (1/4 " to 1/8 ") Rub slices down with a mixture of salt, cayenne and turmeric (not too much turmeric- just enough to give it a lovely golden color). Let "marinate" briefly- about 15 minutes. Lightly dust with flour, then fry in a thin film of oil over medium-high heat so that both sides get nicely browned and the flesh is almost falling apart.

I like to pat them a little with paper towels before serving- eggplant is one of those vegetables that, to me, seems to absorb oil despite how "properly" I fry it. No matter- it's delicious and a nice treat when I miss mom .

[Alisond]

You may want to try the smaller variety of eggplant that is often sold at asian markets. They take far less time to cook and I find that they have less bitterness.

[russ parsons]

I'd like to try steaming eggplant. Should I leave it whole?

←

no, i like it cut into pieces. for round eggplant, cube them; for long eggplant, cut them in lengthwise quarters.

as for asian eggplant being less bitter--the one exception to my "not bitter" rule is a tiny eggplant you find in southeast asian markets. it looks like a bunch of very small, green grapes, still on stems. it's not truly an eggplant, but it is truly bitter. Thais use it in curries (the reason you sometimes find english peas in curries--they are trying to reproduce the look of these little eggplants).

[Alisond]

The variety I am speaking of is 4-7 inches long, about inch in diameter. These are less bitter than the big ones.

[infernooo]

Thanks for the suggestions Russ! I have been looking at a way to have eggplant for some time where it is not fried... when you think about it, eggplant when cooked 99% of the time is slathered in oil and that is all you end up tasting - the "fried taste" (besides baba ganoush). (or if you grill it you have to brush it with so much oil to stop it drying out looking like a piece of cardboard that you pretty much end up grill-frying it).

[Cookwithlove]

Egg plant/Aubergine is commonly stuffed in Mediteranean cuisine.

A malay dish called "Terong Belado" is egg plant deep fry in oil and top with a sambal.

A sambal is a spicy items using lots of onion, chilli paste,garlic,shallot,lemon grass, belachan, sugar and tamarind water.

[Khadija]

I love eggplants of different varieties, and in different preparations.

I often use cubed, fried eggplant to "season" dishes. I often made a dish as follows:

1. Cube, eggplant and fry in plenty of oil. Drain well. Salt. Set aside. (I like sweeter eggplants for this, so I often use Japanese eggplants.)

2. Cube firm tofu and fry the hell out of it -- until it becomes hard and dry -- in plenty of oil. Drain well. Salt.

3. Fry some garlic and chili in a sauce pan.

4. Add eggplant and tofu, along with some chicken stock. Cook, adding liquid as needed, until tofu is no longer hard and dry and is coated with eggplant sauce.

5. Finish with lime juice and cilantro (optional).

Eat with rice or rolled up in lettuce leaves.

Recently, I have developed a minor obsession with the "eggplant cutlet" recipe in recipegullet. It is one of the few versions of something baked, rather than fried, that I think is better baked.

[Carlovski]

Steaming - I would never have thought off that, in fact I would have swore it would produce something completely inedible. I'll give it a go - maybe in conjunction with making 'fish-fragrant' aubergine, should cut down on the gallons of oil it normally needs - tasty but not too healthy!

[Milagai]

I love eggplants of different varieties, and in different preparations.

I often use cubed, fried eggplant to "season" dishes.  I often made a dish as follows:

1.  Cube, eggplant and fry in plenty of oil.  Drain well.  Salt.  Set aside.  (I like sweeter eggplants for this, so I often use Japanese eggplants.)

2.  Cube firm tofu and fry the hell out of it -- until it becomes hard and dry -- in plenty of oil.  Drain well.  Salt.

3.  Fry some garlic and chili in a sauce pan.

4.  Add eggplant and tofu, along with some chicken stock.  Cook, adding liquid as needed, until tofu is no longer hard and dry and is coated with eggplant sauce.

5.  Finish with lime juice and cilantro (optional).

Eat with rice or rolled up in lettuce leaves.

Recently, I have developed a minor obsession with the "eggplant cutlet" recipe in recipegullet.  It is one of the few versions of something baked, rather than fried, that I think is better baked.

←

Your recipe sounds great and I must try this (with veg stock);

and must check out the eggplant cutlet too...

Re your recipe above, a product available here that I love is

Nasoya Super Firm Tofu, cubed! It's already cubed

and the results are great when you drain it, pat it dry,

and put it in the toaster oven.

The cubes brown up beautifully....

I'll try your recipe above and see....

Milagai

[russ parsons]

ahem: i do feel obliged to admonish that eggplants are a late summer ingredient. so unless you're in teh southern hemisphere, naughty naughty.

[dario]

g'day,

there are 3 ways I like to cook my eggplants:

a) breaded eggplants

1) cut them in round slices,

2) dredge them in flour, egg and bread crumbs,

3) fry them in oil till golden/brown.

Serve hot or cold, they are equally good (sensational when served with a home made tomato sauce).

b) paprika

1) cube eggplants,

2) slice capsicums (bell pepper),

3) slice onion,

4) heat oil and stew the onion in it till tender,

5) add eggplants and capsicum and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes,

6) add tomatoes in pieces and continue cooking till the vegetables are tender.

Note: you can also include sliced zucchini to this dish.

c) eggplants in oil

1) shred the eggplants and place them in a bowl,

2) sprinkle with salt and leave them in the bowl for 24 hours,

3) squeeze the eggplants with your hands to remove all their water,

4) put them back in the bowl, cover them a good quality white wine vinegar and leave them in it for 24 hour,

5) drain and squeeze the eggplants to remove as much vinegar as possible,

6) place the eggplants in glass jars, cover them with oil and leave them for a couple of days before using.

Note: if to taste, you can add garlic and other spices to the jars.

Dario

[plk]

Eggplants also make a nice vegetarian katsu. What I do is:

*Peel

*Slice into "steak" rounds

*Salt, let sit to leach some water

*Bread, using panko crumbs (seasoned w/salt and pepper) for the outer layer

*Fry quickly until brown

*Check interior for doneness; if not done, finish in oven

Serve over rice and shreaded cabbage, with accompanying tonkatsu sauce. Tonkatsu sauce is usually some variation of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce blended together.

[Gruzia]

I love eggplants! Maybe because eggplants are used often in Georgian cuisine so I grew up eating them.

One of my favorite Georgian dishes is eggplant sliced thinly (about quarter inch) lengthwise, fried, then layered with thinly sliced raw onions (blanched if not a big raw onion fan) and a sauce made out of ground walnuts, cilantro and garlic (mashed to smooth paste in mortar)....let stand in the fridge overnight and enjoy the next day! Of course if you are impatient, as I am, just slather on some of the sauce on the freshly fried eggplant slices, roll 'em up, and enjoy

[KatieLoeb]

One of the best eggplant preparations I've had lately was a recipe given to me by a coworker. It's called Eggplant Kuku and is a Persian Garlic-Lemon Eggplant souffle. It's absolutely delicious and farily easy to make. It even reheated just fine in the microwave on medium power. A great side dish.

[nduran]

There was a recipe for eggplant chips in a recent issue of Gourmet that was pretty good, and I also like cutting them in big slabs and grilling them with a spicy tequila lime glaze. Slap them on a toasted hamburger bun with some sauteed mushrooms and a fresh onion ring and call it a day.

[Carlovski]

ahem: i do feel obliged to admonish that eggplants are a late summer ingredient. so unless you're in teh southern hemisphere, naughty naughty.

←

I know - I did mention this in the original post. I try and keep my food miles down but it's around this time of year you get a little tired of cabbages and root vegetables, especially as we have had a couple of bright sunny days this week.

[Carlovski]

One of the best eggplant preparations I've had lately was a recipe given to me by a coworker.  It's called Eggplant Kuku and is a Persian Garlic-Lemon Eggplant souffle.  It's absolutely delicious and farily easy to make.  It even reheated just fine in the microwave on medium power.  A great side dish.

←

That sounds great - I don't normally brave souffles but it seems fairly straightforward.

P.S I like the comment someone left on the recipe - "I added 1pound of ground beef (fried with tomato paste) into the mixture"

[KatieLoeb]

I agree. I don't normally fuss with souffle either, but this one was so easy I decided to give it a go. It was worth it. It's almost like a light and airy baba ghanoush.

The idea of mixing some protein in sounds pretty good too. I'd probably vote for ground lamb to keep it more authentic.

Let us know if you try this and what your results are.