Salty solution

These days it isn’t necessary to salt eggplant to remove its bitterness; the new varieties aren’t bitter. However, the salt plays another role: it prevents the eggplant from absorbing too much oil when you fry it and this is therefore a useful step if you have the time. I prefer to rub the eggplant with olive oil and then grill it under a hot element – this way you use far less oil.