What is the best way to cook an eggplant?

Answer 1

Slice it thinly, drizzle with olive oil, S&P, and herbs. Grill or roast at high heat (375+)

Answer 2

Eggplant lends itself to a multitude of ethnic preparations from Indian to Moroccan, with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes in between. Garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, and sesame oils are merely a few of the many seasonings and vegetables that go well with eggplant.
Preparation
The first decision you need to make is to peel or not to peel. With most preparations, such as eggplant Parmesan, grilled eggplant, and caponata, it is best to leave the skin on. It is not recommend cooking eggplant in oil because it will soak it up like a sponge. For this reason, it is best to boil or grill eggplant instead of frying it, but spray the sliced eggplant with an olive oil cooking spray first. You can also panfry slices in a nonstick skillet after they've been sprayed lightly with a cooking spray.

Answer 3

I love eggplant!
To cook eggplant begin by preparing the eggplant...Slice the eggplant in thick slices...salt the sides place in a collander. this is going to let the moisture drain and lessen the mush factor when cooked. you gotta let it drain for about 1/2 Hour or more

From here you can prepare anyway you decide.
My favorite is to drizzle with olive oil and garlic and roast for about 20 min. Then top with Chopped tomato, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt pepper and provolone...pop back into the oven to melt the cheese.

Answer 4

The important thing is to not use too much grease. This ruins it.

Eggplant can be grilled, baked, or fried. Dip the eggplant slices in a batter or breadcrumbs just before frying to lessen the amount of oil they absorb.

Eggplant Caviar: Creamy roasted eggplant is combined with sauteed bell peppers and onion then mixed with tomatoes and lemon juice. The spread is served with toasted bread slices.

Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Spirals: An Italian antipasti of grilled eggplant slices marinated in an herbal vinegar, then spread with goat cheese, and rolled and secured with toothpicks.

Ziti, Eggplant, and Fontina Gratin: Creamy sauteed eggplant and garlic is tossed with pasta then baked in a gratin dish with grated Fontina cheese until brown.

Eggplant and Goat-Cheese "Sandwiches" with Tomato Tarragon Sauce: Creamy goat cheese is sandwiched between fried eggplant slices then baked until the cheese is melted. The sandwiches are served with a quick tomato sauce.

Sauteed Eggplant with Basil: Eggplant, scallions, and bell peppers are quickly stir-fried with hot chili flakes and garlic and basil.

Baba Ghanouj on Pita: Roasted eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, and spices are pureed until smooth then spread over warm pita bread and topped with a salad of tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber.

Eggplant-and-Three-Cheese Soufflé: Roasted eggplant puree, Pecorino, and Fontina cheese are the base for this soufflé which is topped with Parmesan cheese then baked in the oven.

Sichuan Grilled Eggplant and Spinach Salad: Grilled Asian eggplants are dressed with a spicy sesame dressing then served on a bed of spinach. The recipes can be gotten on the site below.


My favorite is eggplant parmesan. Go to foodnetwork.com and you will find an excellent recipe by Tyler Florence

Answer 5

I hope you can eat this as it is sooooo good.
Eggplant Parmigiana
1 small egg plant (about 3/4 lb)
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup flour
2 TBS flour
peel eggplant and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Dip slices into egg, then into flour, turning to coat both sides.
in a large skillet cook eggplant, half at a time, in hot cooking oil for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden, turning once. (if necessary add more oil). drain on paper towels.
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Chunky Vegetable Sauce or purchased garden style spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer in a 12x71/2x2inch baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Top with sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake covered, in a 400 degree oven 10 to 15 minutes or until hot.
Chunky Vegetable Sauce
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/4 cup sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS olive oil
In a skillet cook onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, and garlic in hot olive oil until tender.
3 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 (16 0z) can tomatoes, cut up.
1/2 of a (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
Carefully stir in ttomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, sugar, salt, oregano, thyme and 1/8 tsp pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. if necessary , uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more or to desired constincy, stirring occasionally.
I hope you like this. I make it all the time.

Answer 6

Slice it, sprinkle with salt, let moisture seep out, dip in beaten egg, coat with flower, then fry in a little olive oil till brown. Layer in casserole dish with Italian cheeses, top with tomato sauce and bake till bubbly. Use your favorite Italian spices.
Yum

Answer 7

yeah, bread it and fry it but first....peel it and cut it into slices. then lay it out on paper towel or a rack with a tray underneath that will catch liquid and salt it heavily. leave it for a couple of hours to "sweat". this will get rid of a lot of the bitterness.

Answer 8

try baked eggplant marinated with spices

Answer 9

If you want it to be healthy--don't fry it. If you just want it to taste good--bread and fry it. What I do is slice it, put olive oil on it, season it a little with some spices and grill it.

Answer 10

Dice into small pieces and add freshly chopped tomatoes peppers vinegar onion.etc etc. Make like salsa and refridgerate. Yum.