“Fossils, like eggplant and okra, are a matter of taste in the American community of naturalists. They are loved by a few specialists, tolerated a few more broad-minded individuals, actively disliked by some extremists, but essentially ignored by the bulk of the populace.” – Ellis Yochelson, USGS
When wifey makes eggplant parm, instead of frying the eggplant she brushes slices on both sides with olive oil and bakes them in a hot oven. I believe this came from one of the Williams-Sonoma cookbooks.
The eggplant and tomato salad with the grilled bread was amazing. Using all fresh herbs from the garden along with some surprisingly good greenhouse tomatoes was the key. Tons of flavor and the textures were perfect. Great with a med-rare pork chop on the grill.
My better half loves eggplant, and I enjoy it as well, but it can be difficult to work with sometimes. Getting the texture right is so important.
I think the globe eggplants are only really suitable for something like an eggplant parmesan dish where the eggplant is getting lathered in egg wash and breadcrumbs. Otherwise, the japanese, chinese, or heirloom varieties are essential.
They are good for purees too. The freshness and ripeness of the eggplant is much more important than the variety in my experience. If you cut into a globe and it smells green and bitter, you are going to have a really rough go with it. If it is white, light and spongy with an almost sweet smell, you got a good one.
Thanks a ton for this. It will be in a semi-regular rotation because it is crazy delicious even if I didn’t faint. I used this recipe as a base to start from-
I used all the ingredients, but there is quite a bit of technique and seasoning additions that are sorely needed. First off, fire up the broiler and get the skin off the bell peppers. If you are skinning tomatoes and blanching eggplant skin, there is no excuse not to, especially in a braise. Second, just adding cinnamon seems like punting at the one yard line to me. I added just a dash of allspice, couple tsp of asian/indian curry, and 2tbsp of fresh grated ginger. The cooking time recommended is also severely short. You should spend at least 45 min under foil, and then spend the next 45 min uncovered while mixing every 10min or so to distribute the carmelization on the eggplant, this is very important.
This is a picture just in the middle of it, didn’t have time later. The eggplant skin is on bottom.
My wife hated it until I served it to her this way:
Sliced 1/2" thick and brushed (not tossed because it does soak it up) with EVOO.
Grilled 'til done turning frequently because it will burn.
Drizzle with toasted sesame seed oil, sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and a little soy sauce.
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