Crazy Eggplant Day is tomorrow – chef demos, eggplant tips & recipes, and eggplant-related love all day at the market. See you there!
Eggplant – Eggplant was sent by the gods to test us. It will soak up oil like nobody’s business and it tastes terrible when undercooked.
To successfully prepare eggplant: Cut the eggplant into pieces – small to medium chunks are best. If the eggplant is big and tough-looking, you can sprinkle it with salt, let it sit and blot the resulting liquid from the surface. If you’ve got a fresh, firm, cute eggplant from the farmers’ market, however, don’t bother.
Start with a small bowl of olive (or canola) oil at your side and with a heat-proof brush. Heat a frying pan to medium-hot, brush it with oil, allow it to heat slightly, and then add the eggplant. Cook it until the surface of the eggplant is a medium brown, then brush some more oil in the pan, and turn the chunks on another side.
Continue brushing and turning until all the sides are beautifully browned. Now cover the pan, turn the heat to super low, and let the eggplant steam itself until it collapses.
Above all else, the flavors of cooked eggplant should be sugar & cream, not acid & oil.
