Eggplant question.

I've seen this veggy on the food network but come to think of it my family has never had it. I'm courious. Let me know if they are any good and if so what is a good and simple way to fix them? I bet I could slice them down the middle, put a little olive oil on it and grill the thing. I don't even know if they are supposed to be peeled or not.

there's a lot of "debate" about eggplant and peeling and bitterness, etc.

there's the "salt & drain" to get rid of bitterness theory - for modern varieties I've not found that to be true, the bitterness has been selectively bred out. heirloom varieties may not follow those rules....

another theory holds bitterness is in the seeds - which is one reason to use small / immature fruits - the seeds are smaller. when dealing with eggplant, bigger is not necessarily better.

personally I always peel them because I don't care for the texture of the peel.

for a baked/roasted/halved/stuffed approach might not be necessary because you will probably scoop out the insides. the peel would help hold it together - when fully cooked they do get quite soft.

you can also bake them whole. the skin basically falls off when done.

one of my favorite methods is peel, slice about 3/8 inch thick, egg wash, bread, saute for color&crunch - finish for 10 minutes or so in the oven on a rack. careful with the oven timing - you want some firmness remaining - overcooked they go to mush.

can do similar with deep frying.

I peel eggplant - except when I can get my hands on the little Japanese ones - those don't need to be peeled.

Eggplant can be fixed in so many ways.

Many pour salt on eggplant to drain the moisture out - I don't. You really don't have to.

You can cut eggplant anyway you want. If you want to bread and fry - (they absorbed grease like crazy) - dip in egg whites before breading - you'll use less oil.

Baked Eggplant Marinara

8 1/2-inch-thick center-cut eggplant rounds (from 2 small
eggplants)
All purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups purchased marinara sauce
3/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese (about 3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil baking sheet. Sprinkle eggplant
rounds with salt and pepper. Place flour and eggs in separate shallow
bowls. Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in another shallow bowl.
Coat eggplant rounds with flour, then eggs, then breadcrumb mixture,
patting to adhere.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 4 eggplant rounds to skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 5
minutes per side; transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining
oil and eggplant rounds. Spread 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese over
each round. Top each with sauce and mozzarella cheese, dividing
equally. Bake until rounds are heated through and cheese is melted,
about 15 minutes.


from my notes:

Cooked eggplant soaks up a lot of oil. As the air rushes out of the cells oil rushes in to take it place. Many cooks insist on salting and pressing (or just draining) the air and water out before cooking. Getting rid of the air means it will absorb less oil during cooking. Salting also reduces the water content which reduces the amount of water leeched out into the dish. If you salt prior to cooking, rinse and pat dry to prevent excessive salt in the end product. Adjust the seasoning in the recipe to compensate for the salt remaining on the eggplant.

Then there is the issue of whether or not to peel the eggplant. Peeling should depend on how the eggplant is used in the recipe. If you never peel, selection becomes extremely important. Young tender eggplant is a must as older tough skin takes longer to cook and by then the flesh is overcooked.

Eggplant can be baked, grilled, steamed, or sauteed. It is versatile and works well with tomatoes, onions, garlic and cheese. The only way eggplant is unacceptable is raw.

Eggplant Balls

1 large eggplant
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated sharp Cheddar or Parmesan
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
flour
vegetable oil

Peel and cube eggplant. Cook in one inch boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until tender; drain and discard water. Chop cooked eggplant and mix with onion, green pepper, 3/4 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, cheese, paprika, pepper and remaining salt. Cool and chill 2-3 hours or overnight. Drop mixture by heaping teaspoonsful into flour and coat completely. Beat other egg; dip eggplant balls into egg and then coat with remaining bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil until brown. Can be frozen and reheated in 350 degrees oven.



Eggplant Parmigiana

olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 (16-oz) cans tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8-oz) pkg mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices


In 9-inch skillet over medium heat, in 2 tbsp hot oil, cook garlic and onion until tender, then add next 5 ingredients. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 30 minutes.

On waxed paper, place breadcrumbs; in small dish with fork, beat eggs and water. Dip eggplant slices in egg then in breadcrumbs. Repeat to coat slices twice.

Grease 13x9-inch baking dish. Over medium heat, in 2 tbsp hot oil, cook a few eggplant slices at a time till golden brown. Add more oil as needed.

Preheat oven to 350. Arrange 1/2 eggplant slices in baking dish; cover with 1/2 tomato mixture; sprinkle with 1/2 Parmesan cheese; top with 1/2 mozzarella; repeat. Bake 25 minutes.

Egg plant is great because it takes on flavors like a sponge. It doesn't taste like much on it's own.
My favorite meal with it is to prepare it like you would for an eggplant parm. Then to nestle a layer of it into a baked ziti.

It's great in chinese dishes if you have found a decent substitute for soy sauce.

grilled eggplant slices with tomatoes makes a nice, clean and simple quick pasta dressing with a bit of garlic and red pepper flakes.

Mama, I use to salt eggplant to get rid of the bitter brine. Growing up I thought that was the law with egg plant, lol. Now with eggplant I usually just use the young tender eggplants. No salting required.

Exactly - I love the little ones!

Eggplant parmesan and meatballs are one of the best sandwiches

I love eggplant simply sauteed in a little real butter, kind of let it carmelize and then hit it with salt & pepper.

Jp if you have never had it, i must tell you it is an acquired tatse. I recommend you peel the veggie until you develop a taste for it. Try it simple first. You may or may not care for the flavor. I hated it as a child and love it now, i grew a zillion of them in my garden last year, janie got to sample some of mine and so i grew to love them and appreciate them as an adult and i could cook them to my tatses. MY mom never made good eggplant and eating them was a huge turn-off!

ricksrealpitbbq said:

Eggplant parmesan and meatballs are one of the best sandwiches

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Eggplant lasagna - no noodles - use sliced eggplant! mmmmmmm

MamaM, thanks for the great recipes. There is nothing

better than a great veggie sammie on focaccia; begin with slicing eggplant lengthwise. Brush with good olive oil, freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of garlic powder (not garlic salt). Roast in oven at 400, on top rack, for just a few minutes. Roast until egg plant begins to soften ever so slightly and remove. You can grill it on the indoor grill if you prefer.

I use a variety of veggies to finish this sammie. I use a slice of roasted or grilled mushroom, zucchini or yellow summer squash when in season, onion. I always add fresh spinach leaves, tomato, roasted red pepper. You may make any veggie addition you wish to your sammie. I usually add a slice of cheese, whichever you prefer, and top with a flavored mayo, such as pesto mayo, dried tomato, garlic, you can use herbs to flavor mayo even a bit of fresh dill is good. Anything your heart desires. I always toast the focaccia under the broiler a bit before slathering with the mayo of choice or just EVOO is outstanding.

I heard Eggplants are poisonous raw, is that true?!

you can grill eggplants by slightly slicing the sides and stuffing garlic cloves inside place on the grill and keep turnibg until cooked cut in half and scoop out the insides crush with a fork, add salt, hot cayenne pepper, onions and a teaspoon of olive oil this can be eaten with rice

You can also stew eggplant together with potatoes/chicken cubes (or meat of your choice) it sticks to the chicken which makes the chicken absolutely deliciouus

You can also make a dough and use the eggplant as stuffing this must be fried then use tamarind sauce for dipping

Also you can use split pea powdered flour, add baking powder, regular flour, salt and water mix together to become the same texture as pancake mix, cut the eggplant in 6 inch strips dip into the split pea batter, this must also be fried. For dipping sauce grate a green mango until you have reached the seed season with hot pepper and salt and a teaspoon of water

Buttah Pats said:

I heard Eggplants are poisonous raw, is that true?!

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yes, no and maybe.

yes because technically all the nightshade family produce natural toxins.

no because the amounts are so small you're very unlikely to be affected.

maybe because some people are more sensitive to the problem than others.

I wonder if there's any thing that somebody in the world is not allergic to . . .

Dilbert said:

yes, no and maybe.

yes because technically all the nightshade family produce natural toxins.

no because the amounts are so small you're very unlikely to be affected.

maybe because some people are more sensitive to the problem than others.

I wonder if there's any thing that somebody in the world is not allergic to . . .

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Tomatoes are also considered a night shade if I am not mistaken.

My poor little granddaughter is allergic to tomatoes...and chicken, grapes, apples, and soy all of which she loves. I let her eat them and I treat the symptoms with Anti-Histamines. Why should she not be allowed to eat a nice crunchy apple from time to time? I hope she will outgrow it some day.