Best way to cook eggplant?

Question

One of the true testiments to being single is ruining your first eggplant receipe. And I'm proud to say that "I am". I love the flavor of the eggplant, that or I've grown quite partial to weird looking food. I tried frying it last week, needless to say it did'nt turn out as I wanted it to. (imagine O-gratin potatoes with purple rings.) I'm no longer the proud cook I was before I met the eggplant. Alittle help?...ok,ok, ALOT of help please. I just want to include it in my pasta!!!

Answer 1

Eggplant....

Most recipes call for frying or sauteing eggplant and even baked, broiled, or grilled dishes use a substantial amount of oil. That is why it is prudent to salt slices of eggplant and let them drain before cooking. Wipe off the salt and dry the slices before beginning a recipe.

The salting removes moisture, which compresses the vegetable and makes it less oil-absorbent.

When eggplant is used as the base of a dip, such as Middle Eastern baba ghanoush, however, it is often baked whole or boiled until the flesh is soft enough to mash, avoiding the oil issue altogether.

To grill or broil eggplant for a simple side dish, cut crosswise into half-inch-thick slices. Brush with oil and cook, with oiled side facing the heat source, until browned on both sides, brushing with oil and turning a couple of times during cooking. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.

Enjoy & Good luck!..._;-)

Answer 2

What I do is cube mine, put it on some paper towel, and in a strainer. Salt it well - to draw out the moisture, and let it sit. Then I lightly rinse it, pat it dry, and I'm good to go.

A favorite of mine:

1 large eggplant preped as above.
1 lb par cooked Ziti
1/2 lb cubed Mozz cheese
1/4 lb cubed Prov
1/2 C Parm
1 12-14 oz can diced tomato
jar of fave sauce.

2 eggs
breadcrumbs
flour
milk
oil for frying (I like to use my Fry Daddy)

After you've preped the eggplant, set up 3 stations for breading the eggplant. 1 with the eggs and milk whisked together and seasoned, another with seasoned flour, and the last with the bread crumbs.

Start out by coating the eggplant in flour, then into the egg wash, from there, into the bread crumbs - be careful to use your other hand, unless you want 'club fingers'.

Fry the breaded eggplant in the oil till lightly brown. Set aside.

Par boil the pasta for about 1/2 the recommended time, drain, and put back into pot. Mix remaining ingredients into the pasta. Gently add the eggplant.

Put into baking dish, and bake for about 30 min at 350'.

Enjoy!

Answer 3

i'm American & i like eggplant of all varieties! that's an exceedingly healthful veggie. i'm prepared on eggplant parmesan, yet which will nicely be a soreness to make. in case you employ greater eggplant, that's a stable theory to get rid of strips of the peel with a vegetable peeler & slice the eggplant. Then salt it & enable it take a seat for an hour & rinse in the previous cooking. This takes out any bitterness, i like it in basic terms straightforward roasted (diced right into a million inch cubes, tossed with olive oil & salt & pepper) in a 350 degree oven for about quarter-hour, stirring once or twice. you additionally can stack roasted eggplant slices over roasted portobellos with roasted purple pepper, tomaotes, and a few sparkling mozzarella...YUM, i'm hungry now :)

Answer 4

Cut eggplant in two and bake on oven until it is very soft. Let cool and scrape meat from skin. Mash with a fork. Do not throw away juice if there is any.

In pan heat olive oil. Add one small chopped onion, two cloves crushed garlic, grated ginger if you like...and sautee until onions become transparent. Add one small, chopped plum tomato and handful chopped parsley or cilantro. Sautee few more minutes
then add the mashed egplant. Add salt. Cumin powder and paprika optional or to taste. Cover and cook 5 mintues on low.

You can vary the recipe by adding a spoonful of yogurt to the dish.

Answer 5

The problem is, eggplants have a really high moisture content, so before you use eggplant in a recipe, you almost always have to purge it (reduce moisture content so that it does not get everything soggy when you add it to recipe.) Go here http://home.att.net/~jserdmann2/Recipe-Eggplant.html to learn how best to purge the eggplant, then go to: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_17752,00.html
for an awesome eggplant pasta recipe.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

try scooping out the middle of eggplant.put your favourite bolognaize mix in. cook in the oven covered in aluminium alfoil.then when the eggplant looks cooked.top with cheese and grill...yum

Answer 7

Slice into rings, brush with olive oil, sprinkle on some kosher salt and pepper, then grill it.

After grilling slice it up and toss it into your pasta.