It occurred to me today while I was waiting out my headache at work, I had never eaten an eggplant. Not sure why, I just never had the opportunity or the motive to do so.
So now, I have both! I’m thinking of ordering Eggplant Parmesan at the employee party on Thursday, because hey, if it sucks, it’ll still be free (I told my wife I’d bring her home the “two drink maximum” booze, but she said something about open containers. I was like, hey, I’m going to use a lid; it could spill in the car! <– this is a joke, people).
Assuming I end up liking it, how do I go about eating them at home? I saw somewhere to reduce the bitterness I’m supposed to slice it, salt it, and then rinse it. But..then what? Eat it raw like a tomato (apparently, they are related)? Bake it like a potato (apparently, they are also related)? Throw it in the trash?
I know there are a lot of vegetarians on the boards, so I’m hoping someone who likes aubergines can tell me what to do with one (oh har, har. That’s right, get it all out).
I've never tried anchovies. I'm going to in a few days.
An excellent choice - melanzane parmigiana is an absolutely delicious dish, which I'm sure you'll enjoy.
As for other uses, aubergine is a flavourful vegetable with a slightly tough skin that softens greatly with extended cooking. I find that you don't really need to bother with the salting and rinsing process - it adds an extra step of preparation, and most aubergines taste fine without it. I most commonly dice or roughly chop aubergine and add it to a curry, casserole or tagine - it's widely used in Indian and Middle Eastern cookery. It's also great sliced, drizzled with olive oil and oven roasted along with some other Mediterranean vegetables - these can then be eaten as a side dish or snack, or used as the basis for a vegetable lasagne.
I hope this gives you some ideas!
Interesting (and thanks). Are we talking 350 for 10 minutes, or 450 for 45 minutes?
I love having this place as a sounding board. It’s like “Yahoo Answers,” only correct!
and it's in ratatouille, right? Had this for the first time this summer, after hearing about the movie...and its really really good. Simple veggie stew more or less, but with red peppers (at least the version I had had those) so it had a little bit of a kick.
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Eggplant is very tasty cubed and roasted with onion, squash, peppers, whatever. I'll second that one. Just toss in oil, salt and pepper and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake until soft. Myabe 350 for 15-20 minutes. I tend to just go by feel though.
Sometimes I make Manicotti where I sub big slices of roasted eggplant for the noodles. Roast the eggplant first (same oil salt & pepper routine, but diagonal cross-cuts this time about 1/2 an inch wide). Just get it soft so it's bendable, then cool and stuff a mix of soft cheese like ricotta blended with a couple egg yolks, herbs and cheeses with a sharper taste (asiago, dry jack, parm whatever). Then fold the eggplant slice over the top and bake to set the cheese. Last put them on a plate and spoon your pasta sauce over the top. Very easy.
Also- moussaka (like a lasagna with eggplant layers and creamy cheese sauce) and baba ganoush are super good.
Cleaver>> Your typical anchovy out of a can isn't so amazing. I like them well enough but they mostly taste like fish oil and salt. If you have them baked on a pizza they taste just like that, but more intense. There are huge varieties in quality. If you are at an Italian place sometime and see white anchovies on the menu as an antipasta, go for it. They are so much better.
The Key to Eggplant is Leeching. Once the bitterness is drawn out with salt (slice or cube and salt then let sit) it is VERY GOOD!
EP Parmasiana is WONDERFUL! Red Sauce, cheese, OMG its good.
Babaganoush is also a very good EP dish.
I was bummed it wasn’t on the menu (I had a Monte Cristo instead, mmm, artery hardening goodness), so I am going to try to pick up a few at the grocery store once the ice on the road melts.
I hate eggplant. That stuff is vile.
I hate eggplant. That stuff is vile.
Gotta agree with this one. Growing up, we were allowed to pick one vegetable that we never had to eat. This was mine....<shudder>
