Eggplant halp plz.

[Suu]

Okay, I know how to PREP eggplant sorta. I know they're pretty spongy, and that after you slice them that you should sprinkle them with kosher salt and let them drain for like a half hour.

So now I'm looking for trying some other things. I hear grilling the slices with olive oil and garlic is pretty amazing, but I'm still kinda scared to touch one until I'm pretty confident I can do it. Because when it's ruined, it's RUINED.


HALP.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Definitely with the olive oil and garlic, YUM! Bake or grill, either is fabulous. You can also sprinkle them with breadcrumbs, layer them with cheese and marinara, and bake them a'la Eggplant Parmigiana. Fucking TAYSTAY.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

bah. you don't have to salt em and let em sit for a while.
they're good as is.

marinating them in o-oil, vinegar(balsamic or red wine) and your typical herbs is always good.
grilling em is good, dredging them in egg then breadcrumbs and frying is good (add marinara and cheese...wait Nigel just said that)

grilled eggplant on salad is actually good w/ calamata olives, tomatoes, feta, lettuce (not iceberg please) pepperoncinis, oregano, some capers maybe, red onion with a vinaigrette

you can make it a layer of lasagne

you can make baba ganoush

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

Dipped in egg and bread crumbs then fried makes an amazing veggie sub with lots of trimmings.

I make a ginger/wasabe mayo that really adds a some zing.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Khoresht-e Bademjan

A sort of stewed roasted eggplant+roasted garlic+olive oil+stuff= Yummy thing to dip Pitas in

Those Persians KNOW how to make their eggplant!

[Suu]

I had some fantastic baba gannouj a few weeks ago when it was just smoked to perfection. I just don't have facilities to roast one over an open flame to make it myself. 

[Jenne]

Here's Borani Banjan (the Afghan of Rata's above):

Peel and slice your eggplant, into about 1/2" thick discs.  Set them out on a paper towel and let drain for a WHILE (half an hour plus?).

Put some oil into a LARGE frying pan (lots and lots of oil)--probably 1/4 cup.  Fry some garlic (about 3 cloves, chopped), and add eggplant slices, coating them well with the oil.  As they begin to soften, add some stewed tomatoes, then some more garlic.

Stir, add more oil if it's abosorbed too quickly.  Let stew/simmer on low.

When they start to fall apart, they are ready.  To prepare to serve, take a platter/dish and spread sour cream on it.  You can mix it with plain yogurt to make it even more sour.  If you have access to Persian markets, buy their liquid Qurut and mix it with sour cream/plain yogurt.  Spread the sour cream, etc. over the plate til it's in a thin coating. 

Then Place the eggplants on it, covering with the tomatoes.

This shit is damned fine and delicious.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I had some fantastic baba gannouj a few weeks ago when it was just smoked to perfection. I just don't have facilities to roast one over an open flame to make it myself. 

We've had a lot of success with roasting in olive oil in the oven, or using wet woodchips in the oven as well (in fact there are now cheap throw away pans for ovens that do smoking

[Darth Cupcake]

Here's the recipe I was talking about yesterday: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/EGGPLANT-CANNELLONI-240811

I am dying to try it!

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Here's Borani Banjan (the Afghan of Rata's above):

Peel and slice your eggplant, into about 1/2" thick discs.  Set them out on a paper towel and let drain for a WHILE (half an hour plus?).

Put some oil into a LARGE frying pan (lots and lots of oil)--probably 1/4 cup.  Fry some garlic (about 3 cloves, chopped), and add eggplant slices, coating them well with the oil.  As they begin to soften, add some stewed tomatoes, then some more garlic.

Stir, add more oil if it's abosorbed too quickly.  Let stew/simmer on low.

When they start to fall apart, they are ready.  To prepare to serve, take a platter/dish and spread sour cream on it.  You can mix it with plain yogurt to make it even more sour.  If you have access to Persian markets, buy their liquid Qurut and mix it with sour cream/plain yogurt.  Spread the sour cream, etc. over the plate til it's in a thin coating. 

Then Place the eggplants on it, covering with the tomatoes.

This shit is damned fine and delicious.

WANT!

[Jenne]

 

Not my recipe, but my father-in-law's.  He usually uses Japanese eggplants--not my cup o' tea, really, we use the regular ones.

[Suu]

I'm totally going to have to try that. It seems pretty affordable too since eggplant are coming in season shortly. I can stock up.

I'm also going to attempt to oven-roast one and try to make baba gannouj.

[Darth Cupcake]

This is making me really, really want an eggplant parm sub.

Well, now I know what I'm having for dinner!

[Suu]

Here's Borani Banjan (the Afghan of Rata's above):

Peel and slice your eggplant, into about 1/2" thick discs.  Set them out on a paper towel and let drain for a WHILE (half an hour plus?).

Put some oil into a LARGE frying pan (lots and lots of oil)--probably 1/4 cup.  Fry some garlic (about 3 cloves, chopped), and add eggplant slices, coating them well with the oil.  As they begin to soften, add some stewed tomatoes, then some more garlic.

Stir, add more oil if it's abosorbed too quickly.  Let stew/simmer on low.

When they start to fall apart, they are ready.  To prepare to serve, take a platter/dish and spread sour cream on it.  You can mix it with plain yogurt to make it even more sour.  If you have access to Persian markets, buy their liquid Qurut and mix it with sour cream/plain yogurt.  Spread the sour cream, etc. over the plate til it's in a thin coating. 

Then Place the eggplants on it, covering with the tomatoes.

This shit is damned fine and delicious.

I've decided I'm trying this this weekend. How much stewed tomatoes will I need?

[Jenne]

I'd say two cans per eggplant, if you're using the big ones.  If you're using the Japanese, 2 eggplants per can?

My husband always cooks "to feed the 5,000" as I call it, so it's totaly tough for me to judge.  We cook minimum 2 eggplants, and we usually go for the bigger, the better (as well as the smoother, the most non-blemished, etc.).

Our eggplant pickins are hit-and-miss, even at the Farmer's Markets.

Also, best thing to eat this with?  Hands down:  flat bread.

Oh, and add salt to taste, even though there's some salt in the eggplant before you fry it.