Teach me to like eggplant
May 5, 2018 1:01 PM Subscribe
I've never liked eggplant. I think for texture reasons, although now it's been so long that I've eaten it, I don't really remember why I don't like it. I have some extra garden space and have decided to plant a couple eggplant plants. Please tell me how to cook it so I become a convert. Vegetarian ideas preferred. (Dairy is fine.)
Best answer: I was just like you, once.
Then, I discovered Baba Ganoush, and I became an instant convert. This is vegetarian.
I also really enjoy eggplant in Chinese cooking, like in this recipe: Sichuan Eggplant. This can be converted to a vegetarian recipe easily.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:06 PM on May 5, 2018 [14 favorites]
Then, I discovered Baba Ganoush, and I became an instant convert. This is vegetarian.
I also really enjoy eggplant in Chinese cooking, like in this recipe: Sichuan Eggplant. This can be converted to a vegetarian recipe easily.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:06 PM on May 5, 2018 [14 favorites]
Not vegetarian, but you might be able to come up with a play on the amazing cumin braised lamb pizza I had recently. Eggplant was the second most prevalent topping.
posted by postel's law at 1:07 PM on May 5, 2018
posted by postel's law at 1:07 PM on May 5, 2018
I always hated eggplant, including eggplant parmigiana, until I started experiencing it in Greek food. So I would recommend trying Greek recipes that include eggplant. Moussaka is one that I love, and although I've only ever had non-vegetarian versions of it, there are vegetarian moussaka recipes out there that might be good.
posted by bananana at 1:08 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by bananana at 1:08 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Another one I like is a Martha Stewart recipe. Eggplant (cubed), cherry tomatoes, and quartered onions or shallots all roasted together with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss over whole wheat tube pasta, add kalamata olives and parmesan cheese. The eggplant just melts.
posted by postel's law at 1:11 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by postel's law at 1:11 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My wife has an eggplant dish that has converted many previous eggplant-haters (including myself). Keep in mind that it's a very Israeli dish made with products that are easily found in an Israeli grocery store.
The dish is eggplant with tahini, date honey (or regular honey) and pistachios. Should look something like this. The preparation:
Take a nice, juicy eggplant. Poke a fork in it twice and roast it on a pan/grill/skillet (the holes are so it doesn't explode). Turn it from time to time so it's evenly done on all sides.
While the eggplant is roasting, prepare tahini (this is a good recipe, it takes 1-2 minutes if you have store-bought tahini paste).
In a small saucepan, roast some pistachios.
When the eggplant is black and crispy on the outside and sizzling on the inside, take it off the stovetop and set it aside.
Peel about half of the eggplant so it is splayed open. If there are a lot of seeds, remove them. Pour tahini on the eggplant (enough to cover most of it but not to drown it); then pour some date honey (or regular honey) - about a tablespoon or two - on top of the tahini. Then sprinkle with roasted pistachios.
Great to eat with a fork or spread on toasted bread.
posted by alon at 1:16 PM on May 5, 2018 [9 favorites]
The dish is eggplant with tahini, date honey (or regular honey) and pistachios. Should look something like this. The preparation:
Take a nice, juicy eggplant. Poke a fork in it twice and roast it on a pan/grill/skillet (the holes are so it doesn't explode). Turn it from time to time so it's evenly done on all sides.
While the eggplant is roasting, prepare tahini (this is a good recipe, it takes 1-2 minutes if you have store-bought tahini paste).
In a small saucepan, roast some pistachios.
When the eggplant is black and crispy on the outside and sizzling on the inside, take it off the stovetop and set it aside.
Peel about half of the eggplant so it is splayed open. If there are a lot of seeds, remove them. Pour tahini on the eggplant (enough to cover most of it but not to drown it); then pour some date honey (or regular honey) - about a tablespoon or two - on top of the tahini. Then sprinkle with roasted pistachios.
Great to eat with a fork or spread on toasted bread.
posted by alon at 1:16 PM on May 5, 2018 [9 favorites]
Best answer: I braise eggplant, cubed, with chinkiang vinegar, fermented black bean paste, soy sauce, and a lot of garlic. Eat with any starch!
posted by batter_my_heart at 1:33 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by batter_my_heart at 1:33 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: If you want to try eggplant parm again, the trick to avoid that off-putting texture is salting (sweating) the slices. (Though in trying to find a link explaining the process, I tripped over this Serious Eats roasting exhortation too.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:35 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:35 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Green Thai Curry is excellent with eggplant, and vegan to boot!
I used to work at a reatuarant that made a great Leche de Tigre roasted eggplant, the recipe as I remember as follows. The best part was the tiny thumb sized Fairytale eggplants (which I can find at farmers markets in summer). They would be cut in half and put into a wood-fired oven to cook and become a bit charred, though I’m sure roasting them in an oven would be just fine. The Leche de Tigre was a simple marinade of equal parts orange and lime juice, and then raw minced garlic, japaleno, olive oil, salt and pepper. I’m not sure what magic they did after the eggplant was roasted- if it sat in the marinade like a ceviche or if they drizzled it on like a salad dressing, all I know is that it was the best eggplant I’ve ever had! Oh, and garnish with cilantro to serve.
posted by Champagne Supernova at 1:36 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I used to work at a reatuarant that made a great Leche de Tigre roasted eggplant, the recipe as I remember as follows. The best part was the tiny thumb sized Fairytale eggplants (which I can find at farmers markets in summer). They would be cut in half and put into a wood-fired oven to cook and become a bit charred, though I’m sure roasting them in an oven would be just fine. The Leche de Tigre was a simple marinade of equal parts orange and lime juice, and then raw minced garlic, japaleno, olive oil, salt and pepper. I’m not sure what magic they did after the eggplant was roasted- if it sat in the marinade like a ceviche or if they drizzled it on like a salad dressing, all I know is that it was the best eggplant I’ve ever had! Oh, and garnish with cilantro to serve.
posted by Champagne Supernova at 1:36 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Turkish cuisine rates the aubergine as King of Vegetables; 3 recipes here from Ottolenghi are worth a look as examples. The lamb dish looks like it could fairly easily be adapted with tofu (maybe smoked). Imam Bayildi is veggie from the off and imho one of the most amazing dishes of any Mediterranean cuisine.
To my mind, dishes where aubergine is roasted or charred are the easiest way to get it to sing; frying can be exquisite but if not done carefully results in greasy mushy flesh surrounded by tough slippery skin.
posted by protorp at 1:36 PM on May 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
To my mind, dishes where aubergine is roasted or charred are the easiest way to get it to sing; frying can be exquisite but if not done carefully results in greasy mushy flesh surrounded by tough slippery skin.
posted by protorp at 1:36 PM on May 5, 2018 [5 favorites]
Three ingredients: eggplant, olive oil, sea salt.
posted by rockindata at 1:44 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
- Heat up a grill to medium hot
- Slice the eggplant into half-inch rounds.
- Bring the a brush, eggplant, a ramekin of salt, and a ramekin of oil out to the grill
- Grill until the rounds are good and charred, brushing generously with oil the whole time and sprinkling with salt.
- Eat as a side, or cut up on pasta or a pizza, or in eggs, etc etc. Freezes well- we are using the last of last years on pizza tonight
posted by rockindata at 1:44 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Growing your own eggplant is more than half the battle, because eggplant is better the fresher it is! I like to make eggplant by baking it slowly at a low temperature, which gives it a custardy texture. I peel the eggplant, cut into 1-inch thick slices, top with olive oil and sliced tomato, and bake at 300 for at least 1 hour.
posted by Daily Alice at 1:48 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Daily Alice at 1:48 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I have once had a hesitating, if not hating relationship with eggplant. Sometimes they turned out lovely, as almost always in stews, and sometimes they were either far too oily or far too dry in a weird way, and I couldn't seem to strike the balance. Sometimes I loved baba ganoush, and other times it didn't work for me at all. Sometimes parmigiana would be my favorite dish, other times I would hate it. My kids were with me on this.
Now eggplants are suddenly a family favorite!
What is the difference? I'm not 100% certain, but I think a lot of it is more careful and thorough cooking. If I'm making stews or frying or grilling them, I'll do what Iris Gambol recommends and salt them for a while, and then rinse before cooking. Back when I learnt to cook people said it was to remove bitterness, but it is definitely to improve texture and also salt is a good thing. I like deep-frying them or grilling them (and then cooling/draining on a piece of paper to get rid of some of the oil) before using them in a parmigiana, and I don't use breadcrumbs in mine.
For all the recipes where they are baked, I think mixing in tahini makes a huge improvement both regarding texture and taste.
And I'm very fond of East Asian recipes as mentioned above.
After I've developed some methodologies, I've started using eggplant as a replacement for meat in a number of stews, and we all love it. I cut them into small cubes and brown them well before adding the other ingredients just as you would with meat. I also use rounds of grilled eggplant in place of meat in sandwiches (with all the other stuff, like lettuce, mayo, tomatoes etc.)
posted by mumimor at 1:48 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Now eggplants are suddenly a family favorite!
What is the difference? I'm not 100% certain, but I think a lot of it is more careful and thorough cooking. If I'm making stews or frying or grilling them, I'll do what Iris Gambol recommends and salt them for a while, and then rinse before cooking. Back when I learnt to cook people said it was to remove bitterness, but it is definitely to improve texture and also salt is a good thing. I like deep-frying them or grilling them (and then cooling/draining on a piece of paper to get rid of some of the oil) before using them in a parmigiana, and I don't use breadcrumbs in mine.
For all the recipes where they are baked, I think mixing in tahini makes a huge improvement both regarding texture and taste.
And I'm very fond of East Asian recipes as mentioned above.
After I've developed some methodologies, I've started using eggplant as a replacement for meat in a number of stews, and we all love it. I cut them into small cubes and brown them well before adding the other ingredients just as you would with meat. I also use rounds of grilled eggplant in place of meat in sandwiches (with all the other stuff, like lettuce, mayo, tomatoes etc.)
posted by mumimor at 1:48 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Ratatouille! It's a classic summer dish, because the eggplant is cooked with other things, and it all blends together. You can have it hot, cold, over pasta, whatever you want.
The classic recipe is made with everything sauteed on the stovetop first and then you stew it a bit, but eggplant tends to soak up moisture and it tends to be soggy. But this recipe roasts everything in an oven together and it's not only easier, it tends to avoid that. (Also, the author of that recipe says she's got issues about texture with eggplant herself, so if she likes that recipe, it's probably something you'll like too.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:51 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
The classic recipe is made with everything sauteed on the stovetop first and then you stew it a bit, but eggplant tends to soak up moisture and it tends to be soggy. But this recipe roasts everything in an oven together and it's not only easier, it tends to avoid that. (Also, the author of that recipe says she's got issues about texture with eggplant herself, so if she likes that recipe, it's probably something you'll like too.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:51 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I like my eggplant in cubes tossed with olive oil and salt and then roasted at a high heat until basically completely burned and blackened. Then tossed with lemon and tahini dressing and feta and mint or parsley. Eggplant is in general best when cooked very thoroughly and with at least some blackened bits to give it flavor so I also concur with all the grilling and broiling recipes above.
posted by LeeLanded at 1:58 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by LeeLanded at 1:58 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Best answer: If you want to try eggplant parm again, the trick to avoid that off-putting texture is salting (sweating) the slices.
I hate eggplant, have had eggplant parm (or other dishes) where the eggplant has been sweated, and still hated it.
I did, however, enjoy Mollie Katzen's moussaka recipe from the Moosewood cookbook, and that is the only way I've ever had eggplant prepared that I actually liked. I'm not sure if this is the same version that's in the ancient cookbook we have (I seem to remember yogurt)
posted by LionIndex at 2:10 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
I hate eggplant, have had eggplant parm (or other dishes) where the eggplant has been sweated, and still hated it.
I did, however, enjoy Mollie Katzen's moussaka recipe from the Moosewood cookbook, and that is the only way I've ever had eggplant prepared that I actually liked. I'm not sure if this is the same version that's in the ancient cookbook we have (I seem to remember yogurt)
posted by LionIndex at 2:10 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Home-grown eggplant is so much better, that's a start.
Curry is a great way to use the small eggplants you usually grow at home. That way it's not the only vegetable involved, and it really disintegrates into the sauce.
I really love eggplant, but also find this a mild and garlicky application: cut into chunks, toss in a lot of olive oil and salt, roast (with more olive oil, you want it to go silky and melty, keep adding oil if you need to) at 400 for 40-60 minutes until it's so soft it falls apart when you stir it. Take it out of the oven and add as much minced garlic as you want, letting it cook in the heat of the pan and eggplant, stirring every minute or two for a few minutes.
You can either leave it like that or you can brown up some ground beef or lamb (with chopped pistachios or pine nuts if you like) and stir together. Eat this spread on toast - I prefer a serious toasty toast like multigrain, but at the very least some baguette rounds broiled or dry-fried in a pan. You can start with a high ratio of meat to eggplant and then flip your ratios over time as you get more accustomed to the eggplant flavor.
And yeah, eggplant is gross when undercooked and I often find that parmigiana uses quick-fried eggplant that was cut too thick for quick-frying and it's really twangy and not good, so do not be afraid to go way too far at first and then back off a little once you get the hang of some recipes you like.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:12 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Curry is a great way to use the small eggplants you usually grow at home. That way it's not the only vegetable involved, and it really disintegrates into the sauce.
I really love eggplant, but also find this a mild and garlicky application: cut into chunks, toss in a lot of olive oil and salt, roast (with more olive oil, you want it to go silky and melty, keep adding oil if you need to) at 400 for 40-60 minutes until it's so soft it falls apart when you stir it. Take it out of the oven and add as much minced garlic as you want, letting it cook in the heat of the pan and eggplant, stirring every minute or two for a few minutes.
You can either leave it like that or you can brown up some ground beef or lamb (with chopped pistachios or pine nuts if you like) and stir together. Eat this spread on toast - I prefer a serious toasty toast like multigrain, but at the very least some baguette rounds broiled or dry-fried in a pan. You can start with a high ratio of meat to eggplant and then flip your ratios over time as you get more accustomed to the eggplant flavor.
And yeah, eggplant is gross when undercooked and I often find that parmigiana uses quick-fried eggplant that was cut too thick for quick-frying and it's really twangy and not good, so do not be afraid to go way too far at first and then back off a little once you get the hang of some recipes you like.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:12 PM on May 5, 2018 [4 favorites]
Definitely use salt to sweat out the bitter oils like Iris Gambol explains above. That makes all the difference.
posted by Knowyournuts at 2:41 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Knowyournuts at 2:41 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I really like this charred eggplant and walnut pesto pasta salad from Smitten Kitchen.
posted by nolnacs at 2:56 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by nolnacs at 2:56 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I used to be like you until I discovered a few dishes I love eggplant in. I second the recommendation for babaganoush as well as the somewhat similar Baingan bharta from India. I also LOVE caponata. All vegetarian.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 3:05 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 3:05 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you don't like eggplant parmigiana, you should add more cheese.
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:18 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:18 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
My eggplant breakthrough was realizing I could just slice it up and put it in the microwave. No salting, draining, coating, or frying ever required. It's great roasted too but not that much greater.
posted by Gnella at 3:25 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Gnella at 3:25 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Eggplant bharta for sure, especially if you like curries and saucy sorts of dishes.
posted by O9scar at 3:31 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by O9scar at 3:31 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
I am not a vegetarian, but my most favorite version of lasagne uses eggplant. I cut 2 eggplants in half, score them deeply, pour olive oil over, salt, and roast them in the oven at 425 until they're very soft and tender. I let them cool and then scoop the eggplant out with a spoon and add it to ricotta cheese along with some garlic. Layer into lasagne with your usual ingredients. It's so delicious!
posted by quince at 3:53 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by quince at 3:53 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
I thought I didn't like eggplant Parmigiana until my wife made it using the Moosewood Cookbook recipe. That recipe calls for pre-baking the eggplant which draws out some of the moisture. It's also a nicely spicy recipe.
posted by maurice at 4:00 PM on May 5, 2018
posted by maurice at 4:00 PM on May 5, 2018
Cooking it ALLLLLL the way is what changed it for me. It, in my opinion, is not a vegetable that does "crunchy" well, and I think it's best when the interior is completely soft.
posted by masquesoporfavor at 4:02 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by masquesoporfavor at 4:02 PM on May 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I can't stand soft eggplant, no matter how complex the added flavours are. (I have a similar aversion for zucchini.) But I have LOVED eggplant grilled "steak" style with cheese and tomatoes on top. There are a bunch of eggplant steak recipes out there, with a lot of different flavour profiles, but you might also like this roasting technique or this grilling method for that tender but not crunchy mouthfeel.
posted by maudlin at 4:04 PM on May 5, 2018
posted by maudlin at 4:04 PM on May 5, 2018
Best answer: I've never salted or sweated eggplant -- I always thought that was something you used to have to do years ago when they were bitter.
My suggestion is eggplant and feta bake. You'll need 2 eggplants, 1 jar of pasta sauce or one carton/bottle of passata or 1 large tin of tomatoes, and as much feta as you like (maybe half a pound?!).
1. Grill or pan-fry slices of eggplant in olive oil. It takes a lot longer on the stovetop but the eggplant really absorbs the oil in a good way; I find that oven-grilled slices go a bit dry.
2. Layer in a Pyrex dish like so: eggplant slices, crumbled feta, spoonfuls of pasta sauce/passata/tinned tomatoes. Repeat until you run out of all the ingredients. Top with breadcrumbs if you're feeling fancy.
3. Bake in the oven until it subsides into a bubbling, fragrant mess and serve with very fresh bread.
If you can get your hands on some of Bolani's eggplant pesto (they do ship outside California!), you may die happy. It's "pesto" in the sense of "paste" -- basically eggplant, tomatoes, olive oil, and spices. I can eat it by the tub, but usually I get their flatbread to go with it. It also works well in a pasta toss, or for making cheese on toast with some of this on top.
Costco also carries Bolani's frozen eggplant entree, but it's never looked or tasted right to me, and the color is off. So definitely don't start there.
posted by vickyverky at 4:25 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
My suggestion is eggplant and feta bake. You'll need 2 eggplants, 1 jar of pasta sauce or one carton/bottle of passata or 1 large tin of tomatoes, and as much feta as you like (maybe half a pound?!).
1. Grill or pan-fry slices of eggplant in olive oil. It takes a lot longer on the stovetop but the eggplant really absorbs the oil in a good way; I find that oven-grilled slices go a bit dry.
2. Layer in a Pyrex dish like so: eggplant slices, crumbled feta, spoonfuls of pasta sauce/passata/tinned tomatoes. Repeat until you run out of all the ingredients. Top with breadcrumbs if you're feeling fancy.
3. Bake in the oven until it subsides into a bubbling, fragrant mess and serve with very fresh bread.
If you can get your hands on some of Bolani's eggplant pesto (they do ship outside California!), you may die happy. It's "pesto" in the sense of "paste" -- basically eggplant, tomatoes, olive oil, and spices. I can eat it by the tub, but usually I get their flatbread to go with it. It also works well in a pasta toss, or for making cheese on toast with some of this on top.
Costco also carries Bolani's frozen eggplant entree, but it's never looked or tasted right to me, and the color is off. So definitely don't start there.
posted by vickyverky at 4:25 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I am very picky about eggplant. Keys to a good eggplant, in my experience:
1) Eggplants are going to be better from mid-summer to mid-fall
2) Smaller or skinnier eggplant varieties are better than ordinary globe eggplants, if you can find them
3) Yes, salt them / sweat them, especially if you're buying globe eggplants at a less-optimal time of the year.
I like eggplant dengaku although I always make a stovetop variation - the one time I tried oven-roasting didn't work out as well.
posted by Jeanne at 4:54 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
1) Eggplants are going to be better from mid-summer to mid-fall
2) Smaller or skinnier eggplant varieties are better than ordinary globe eggplants, if you can find them
3) Yes, salt them / sweat them, especially if you're buying globe eggplants at a less-optimal time of the year.
I like eggplant dengaku although I always make a stovetop variation - the one time I tried oven-roasting didn't work out as well.
posted by Jeanne at 4:54 PM on May 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Make a slurry of soy sauce, mirin, and miso paste (approx 1:2:2). Marinate slices (~1" or 2") in the slurry (overnight in the fridge if possible).
Heat grill (propane bbq), season/oil grill surface. Place slices on grill, brush remaining marinade on top of slices
Grill slices on medium-ish for ~2 minutes, flip, brush more marinate, grill for another ~2 minutes.
It's a different texture than recipes that call for stewing egglplants.
--
If you have the long skinny kind of eggplant:
Get some surimi (fish paste)/ shrimp paste/ ground pork/ ground turkey thighs (with turkey, you might want to add 1/8th volume of bread crumbs so the turkey isn't too sticky), season to taste.
Slice eggplant lengthwise in half. Halve the half-slices. Cut a groove/ channel out of the soft inside. Press the ground protein into the groove and cover the entire cut surface.
Optionally, you can dust the protein side with some corn starch - I like the slightly crunchy surface.
On an oiled skillet on ~66% fry eggplant-skin side down for several minutes, flip, cook until the meat is cooked through.
posted by porpoise at 6:18 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Heat grill (propane bbq), season/oil grill surface. Place slices on grill, brush remaining marinade on top of slices
Grill slices on medium-ish for ~2 minutes, flip, brush more marinate, grill for another ~2 minutes.
It's a different texture than recipes that call for stewing egglplants.
--
If you have the long skinny kind of eggplant:
Get some surimi (fish paste)/ shrimp paste/ ground pork/ ground turkey thighs (with turkey, you might want to add 1/8th volume of bread crumbs so the turkey isn't too sticky), season to taste.
Slice eggplant lengthwise in half. Halve the half-slices. Cut a groove/ channel out of the soft inside. Press the ground protein into the groove and cover the entire cut surface.
Optionally, you can dust the protein side with some corn starch - I like the slightly crunchy surface.
On an oiled skillet on ~66% fry eggplant-skin side down for several minutes, flip, cook until the meat is cooked through.
posted by porpoise at 6:18 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This Chez Panisse-originated pasta recipe made an eggplant fan out of my husband and he is *quite* picky.
posted by lovableiago at 8:52 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lovableiago at 8:52 PM on May 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
I love making this eggplant soup.
ingredients
• 3 medium tomatoes, halved
• 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise
• 1 small onion, halved
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 4 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (about 3 1/2 ounces)
preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. Brush vegetables with oil. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Add remaining roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 4 cups chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in cream. Bring to a simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with goat cheese; serve.
posted by emelenjr at 9:43 PM on May 5, 2018
ingredients
• 3 medium tomatoes, halved
• 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise
• 1 small onion, halved
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 4 cups (or more) chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (about 3 1/2 ounces)
preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. Brush vegetables with oil. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Add remaining roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 4 cups chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in cream. Bring to a simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with goat cheese; serve.
posted by emelenjr at 9:43 PM on May 5, 2018
I think I'm mildly allergic to eggplant- it makes the roof of my mouth feel kinda itchy and prickly. I know several people who experience this sensation- perhaps that's why you didn't like it?
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:33 PM on May 5, 2018
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:33 PM on May 5, 2018
I recently discovered, completely by accident, the key to turning an eggplant in to a delicious sauce: baking soda.
In a big, heavy pot, sweat a chopped onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Then add your eggplant, chopped in to smallish cubes (maybe half an inch on a side), along with about a teaspoon or so of baking soda. Marvel as, over the next twenty to thirty minutes, with occasional stirring (and maybe a deglazing or two with some white wine or stock or pasta water), the eggplant melts in to a rich, smooth, meaty brown sauce.
From here, your options are limitless. Hit it with a dash of fish sauce, some cilantro, a little lime juice and some coconut milk to turn it in to a kind of Thai gravy. Add some butter and some fried fresh sage leaves to make an amazing sauce for gnocchi. Cinnamon, cumin, lemon zest and fresh parsley for a faux-Moroccan dressing for baked chicken.
It's so good and it couldn't be easier. Enjoy!
posted by saladin at 4:37 AM on May 6, 2018
In a big, heavy pot, sweat a chopped onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Then add your eggplant, chopped in to smallish cubes (maybe half an inch on a side), along with about a teaspoon or so of baking soda. Marvel as, over the next twenty to thirty minutes, with occasional stirring (and maybe a deglazing or two with some white wine or stock or pasta water), the eggplant melts in to a rich, smooth, meaty brown sauce.
From here, your options are limitless. Hit it with a dash of fish sauce, some cilantro, a little lime juice and some coconut milk to turn it in to a kind of Thai gravy. Add some butter and some fried fresh sage leaves to make an amazing sauce for gnocchi. Cinnamon, cumin, lemon zest and fresh parsley for a faux-Moroccan dressing for baked chicken.
It's so good and it couldn't be easier. Enjoy!
posted by saladin at 4:37 AM on May 6, 2018
Nthing baba ghanouj.
Honestly – I don't love eggplant either, and yes, it's largely a texture thing. In my experience, it's a lot like okra: it's more about proper preparation than the specific dish. In other words, many okra/eggplant dishes can be good if they're prepared properly – but many restaurants don't prepare them properly, and it turns kind of gross.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:19 AM on May 6, 2018
Honestly – I don't love eggplant either, and yes, it's largely a texture thing. In my experience, it's a lot like okra: it's more about proper preparation than the specific dish. In other words, many okra/eggplant dishes can be good if they're prepared properly – but many restaurants don't prepare them properly, and it turns kind of gross.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 9:19 AM on May 6, 2018
I used to live near a restraint whose version of this was fantastic: Three Treasures of theEarth, so if I absolutely had to do an eggplant dish I’d do that. Or mousakka, obviously.
posted by Artw at 10:52 AM on May 6, 2018
posted by Artw at 10:52 AM on May 6, 2018
Best answer: I've had eggplant a dozen different ways, and never really like it. But this weekend, I tried eggplant pakora, and I LOVED it! Sliced small, into 2cm thick slices, and coated in a slightly spicy gram(chickpea) flour batter, and then fried. So incredibly good! (I can ask my cook for an exact recipe if you want)
posted by hasna at 11:20 AM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by hasna at 11:20 AM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: We recently made this Honey Garlic Eggplant and it was so delicious and easy.
posted by saul wright at 4:59 PM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by saul wright at 4:59 PM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: You shouldn't need to salt/sweat homegrown eggplant unless you leave it too long on the vine and they get seedy. The big Black Beauty eggplants in most grocery stores are usually seedy and bitter (though I've also been advised by an Italian person that you should never ever cut them into rounds, always planks running up and down - I still maintain there's such a thing as Too Old, and I ate one the other night, but I have had more luck since I started going up and down) and pretty much always need to be sweat, but the smaller handheld eggplants, the Asian varieties, should be picked when ripe (look up the exact ripeness signs for the ones you're growing) so they don't go seedy on the vine, and then can be cooked without sweating.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:16 PM on May 6, 2018
posted by Lyn Never at 5:16 PM on May 6, 2018
Best answer: Eggplant for me is one of those things that if it's cooked well is so, so good, but if it's cooked anything less than well is just gross. Big thick slices or chunks of eggplant are really not good in most cases, because the texture and flavour remains closer to raw, which is bad. Salting/sweating eggplant can definitely help with the big eggplants.
The thing to know is that eggplants are basically sponges (like mushrooms and tofu, they absorb other flavours) but because texture is also a thing, cooking methods need to change that - the salting doesn't just leach out some of the bitterness, it also helps to change the texture. This is also why roasting/chargrilling is so successful. Deep frying works too (tempura eggplant or breaded, deep-fried thick eggplant chips are just yummy). Mind you, there is very little that deep frying doesn't make tasty, provided you like deep fried food.
But one of my favourites is nasu dengaku which is Japanese miso-glazed eggplant that is just amazingly divine: savoury and rich and the eggplant is almost creamy and smoky and delicious.
By the way, in case you ever wondered, the reason it is called eggplant is because there are different varieties, and the kind first introduced in Europe (from India) was about the size and shape of a goose egg. More on eggplants with lots of amazing pictures of more varieties than you ever knew existed.
posted by Athanassiel at 6:22 PM on May 6, 2018
The thing to know is that eggplants are basically sponges (like mushrooms and tofu, they absorb other flavours) but because texture is also a thing, cooking methods need to change that - the salting doesn't just leach out some of the bitterness, it also helps to change the texture. This is also why roasting/chargrilling is so successful. Deep frying works too (tempura eggplant or breaded, deep-fried thick eggplant chips are just yummy). Mind you, there is very little that deep frying doesn't make tasty, provided you like deep fried food.
But one of my favourites is nasu dengaku which is Japanese miso-glazed eggplant that is just amazingly divine: savoury and rich and the eggplant is almost creamy and smoky and delicious.
By the way, in case you ever wondered, the reason it is called eggplant is because there are different varieties, and the kind first introduced in Europe (from India) was about the size and shape of a goose egg. More on eggplants with lots of amazing pictures of more varieties than you ever knew existed.
posted by Athanassiel at 6:22 PM on May 6, 2018
Best answer: I've cooked Ottolenghi's roast aubergine with lemon and feta for several people who immediately asked for the recipe, and his aubergine risotto with lemon is currently my favourite risotto.
posted by kelper at 3:01 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by kelper at 3:01 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
I like the flavor combos in Smitten Kitchen's Eggplant Salad Toasts and often make that when an eggplant arrives in my CSA box. Or I chop it into small pieces and add it to whatever garlicky roasted veggies I'm making to go over grains/rice/pasta--pretty much the oven-roasted Ratatouille EmpressCallipygos posted above.
The common denominator in both is roasting small pieces of it...more scorched edges and less slimy insides
posted by lampoil at 10:48 AM on May 7, 2018
The common denominator in both is roasting small pieces of it...more scorched edges and less slimy insides
posted by lampoil at 10:48 AM on May 7, 2018
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posted by mudpuppie at 1:03 PM on May 5, 2018