Delicious Roasted Eggplant
Eggplant is one of those vegetables that often gets passed up in the grocery store. It used to be that the only way most people ate it was in the form of a greasy egg plant parmesan, maybe a capponatta (the Italian cousin of ratatouille), or maybe a babba ganoush if they happened to be in a Mediteranean restaurant. Never just a simple roasted eggplant. It is not really one of those foods which are commonly found on a restaurant menu. When I was growing up and happened to see eggplant being cooked on the odd cooking program, there was all kinds of weirdness like soaking or salting the eggplant to remove the bitterness. It is odd because I have never had a bitter eggplant. Some suggest a lack of bitterness could be freshness level, but having bought my eggplants at the grocery store, I am quite sure that they are not really perfectly fresh. I think it is the answer is better breeding. This bitterness story is a shame as it may have put people off from trying eggplant. The truth is that eggplant is not only delicious, but simple to make.
There are many ways to cook eggplant and all of them are quite delicious. I am a fan of eggplant when it is stewed with other vegetables and sausage, and even grilled as part of a lasagna, but the simplest way to bring out all the creamy, tasty goodness of an eggplant is to roast it. There is really nothing simpler than tossing a vegetable with oil and then roasting it in the oven until it is tender and a little caramelized. Roasted eggplant gets so tender and creamy that it may qualify for the descriptor – melt in your mouth! Next to winning a James Beard award, that is one of the highest culinary praise ever to be given!
If you can find it at your grocery store or farmers market, try Japanese or Italian eggplants. The nuances of flavor between them are subtle and I use them interchangeably.
Here is how I make my roasted eggplant…
- 2 globe or 3 Japanese eggplants
- 6 tbsp of chilli oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt and pepper
- 1-2 tbsp of light brown sugar
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Wash the eggplants and slice them in half long ways.
- Chop the garlic finely.
- Add the eggplant to a large bowl and toss with the oil.
- Add the garlic and toss well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Lay the eggplant halves flesh side up on a baking tray that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Sprinkle the tops with a little brown sugar.
- Roast in the oven until very tender and caramelized - about 30-35 minutes.
- Serve hot.
- Chilli oil can be found at the grocery store in the aisle where other oils are kept. If you do not want the dish spicy, simply use olive oil or other flavoured oil of your choosing.
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