Like many Prairie children of central European extraction, my early experience of eggplant was erratic, error-prone and anything but remarkable. My mom never mastered eggplant, which she’d encountered on her European travels — on her return to Canada, she dutifully did her best, slicing, dredging, frying. But the true nature of eggplant never emerged in her hands, and we struggled to eat undercooked and under-liked versions of what should have been utterly amazing. Sad, really.
How to celebrate eggplant? At its worst, undercooked eggplant is woody, stoic and boring. At its best, cooked to tender and soft, eggplant boasts an unctuous, melting texture and subtly earthy taste. It just takes a bit of know-how.
Do not buy or grow on colour. The outer colour of eggplant changes with cooking, so the pristine white ovals that caught your eye on the market stall or seed packet will emerge from the fire or grill a nondescript grayish black. Politely ignore anyone who tries to tell you eggplants have a gender, as designated by the presence or absence of a rounded bottom. That shape is determined by the cultivar alone. Pick heavy, dense, shiny, smooth and firm-skinned eggplants of any type, with no brown spots or blemishes.
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Don’t store eggplants in the fridge, where their tender inner flesh discolours and goes cottony. A spot in the fruit basket or other cool location — and prompt cooking within a day or two — produce the best results.
The old myth of salting to eliminate bitterness is just that, and the cook is left with overly salty eggplant. Shop carefully and cook your find before it ages. If you do salt eggplant, place eggplant cubes in a colander and salt the cubes liberally with coarse salt, blotting them dry an hour later.
The type of eggplant dictates the dish. Grill purple Euro-globes or wand-like Asian eggplant. Stuff tiny egg-like ovals. Don’t peel Asian types. Any eggplant can be diced and braised in liquid, which maximizes its sponge-like tendency to absorb flavours — think of a spicy hoisin sauce with eggplant and duck, or a robust tomato and eggplant sauce spiked with well-cooked onion and crisp bacon.
Aim to cook eggplant to well done and soft. But don’t just fry eggplant — it will absorb all the oil in the pan and beg for more, then turn up greasy.
If you want to build a layered eggplant classic like moussaka or eggplant parmigiana, slice, oil and grill or roast it first, turning when the slices are tender and brown. Grilled slices or wedges, cooked to tender, are addictive drizzled with a vinaigrette and served at room temperature with other grilled summer vegetables. Chop up leftovers and add chopped olives and capers for tapenade on toast.
Another way to deal with globe eggplant is to roast it, whole, unpeeled, directly on the flame of a gas stove. Turn it frequently as it collapses and colours. When the whole thing is an unsightly charred and blackened mess that is oozing slightly (about 20-25 minutes for an average-sized globe) transfer it to a plastic bag. After it has steamed for ten minutes, peel off the skin. Then chop or use a fork or food processor to shred or puree the flesh for a smoky and delicious dip seasoned to taste. For a different type of smoky flavour, slice the eggplant, then smoke it in a tightly covered wok, using a few spoonfuls of tea, raw rice and sugar as the smoking media.
Eggplant is a garden star. So first we eat, then maybe a glass of wine while we discuss our favourite seasonings for a global favourite.
Ratatouille
This famous southern French vegetable stew even has a movie named after it, a truly wonderful movie at that. Serve alone, with bread, on pasta or as a side. For a more traditional stew-like texture, leave out the stock or water. To make it even heartier, add cooked white beans. This is easy to season in an Asian style by adding soy sauce, sesame oil, star anise, makrut lime leaves and ginger. Serves 4.
What you’ll need:
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 red pepper, finely sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 6-8 mushrooms, quartered
- 1 globe eggplant, peeled and diced
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 28-oz. can whole Roma tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. Lea & Perrins
- Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp. honey
- 4 tbsp. minced fresh basil
- Kosher salt and hot chili paste to taste
- Grated cheese for garnish
Cook the onion, pepper and garlic in the oil over high heat until the vegetables are tender. Add the bay leaf, mushrooms, eggplant and herbs. Mix well and cook over medium-high heat to soften. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and Lea & Perrins, mix well and cover. Simmer until soft. Balance with lemon juice and honey, then add the basil, salt and hot chili paste. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.
