VEGGIE REPERTOIRE
Plenty of ways to experiment with eggplant
Do you ever wonder, when you see a display of glossy, purple eggplants or aubergines what to do with them?
They are not part of the vegetable repertoire that most native Islanders grew up with, but they are firmly entrenched in many world cuisines. As a result, there is a bank of recipes to draw from when the urge to pick up one of these beauties is too great to resist.
If you’ve ever perused the assortment of dips at a grocery store deli or eaten at a Lebanese restaurant, it’s a good bet that you’ve encountered the dip called baba ghanouj. It’s made with a purée of roasted eggplant, combined with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
It was at a Halifax restaurant called Zapatas that I first tasted moussaka, a baked dish of sliced eggplant, ground lamb and tomatoes with béchemal sauce (white sauce thickened with roux). When I searched for recipes so that I could recreate the delicious meal at home, I learned that there are many versions of moussaka, some without meat or béchemal, some with zucchini and other vegetables.
Eggplant Parmesan or Parmigiana di malanzane is one of the first vegetarian mains that I was introduced to. The meaty texture of eggplant helped many a meateater to learn that vegetable dishes could be both delicious and satisfying.
It’s made with sliced eggplant, fried in olive oil, layered with tomato sauce and cheese and baked until it’s heated through and the cheese and tomato sauce are bubbly. Then it’s best to let it rest before serving, so that it holds together. David Rocco, in “Made in Italy” (Harper-Collins Publishers Ltd., Toronto, 2011) says it’s essential to “let it rest in the oven with the heat turned off for 1 hour so that it can dry up and then for at least 1 hour at room temperature before serving”. I think my eggplant Parmesan would look better on the plate if I followed his advice.
Similar to eggplant Parmesan, but lighter, is an attractive dish called eggplant stacks. These delicious little towers alternate slices of tender cooked eggplant, fresh beefsteak tomato and mozzarella cheese, seasoned with basil, sometimes pesto and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Other ways to prepare eggplant include: slice, toss in olive oil with onion wedges, zucchini slices and sweet pepper chunks, season with salt and pepper or an herb mix and grill until tender; make Sicilian caponata, a mix of diced eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and other vegetables spiked with red wine vinegar, tomatoes and herbs to serve hot or cold as antipasto; grill or roast slices to serve on hearty buns; stuff it with a savoury meaty mix and bake until tender; make ratatouille, a vegetarian stew from Provence, using sweet peppers, onion, tomato, garlic and olive oil with sautéed eggplant; make Indian-style eggplant pickle.
What about salting? I learned, early on, that you had to salt eggplant and let it drain before cooking. Later, I found out that
it isn’t always necessary. Large eggplant sometimes has a bitter flavour, and to deal with that, cooks have learned to slice the eggplant, sprinkle it with salt to draw out the bitterness before rinsing, patting it dry and cooking. However, it isn’t essential when you are using young eggplant or the slender Japanese type of eggplant. If you prefer not to consume the extra sodium or wait for salt to perform its osmotic magic, choose smaller ones and skip the salting.
This tasty side dish is easy to make. Toast the walnuts briefly for even better flavour.
Roasted Eggplant with Walnuts and Yogurt
Adapted from Ogryzlo, Lynn: “The Ontario Table”. Epulum Books Inc., Toronto, 2011.
3 small eggplant, stems intact and sliced lengthwise
45 mL (3 tbsp) canola oil
½ onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
30 mL (2 tbsp) plain yogurt
125 mL (½ cup) chopped walnuts 45 mL (3 tbsp) finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
Lay the eggplant on a baking dish in a single layer and sprinkle with canola oil, onion, and garlic. Season and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and lay on a platter. Adjust seasoning to taste, and drizzle with yogurt, walnuts, and cilantro. Serve warm.