We have
a complicated relationship, eggplant and I. Since I was a very picky kid, my
mom never dared to serve it to me. The rubbery texture of the eggplant does not
at all seem appealing to me. Cut an eggplant and you’re not sure what that
smell is and whether or not you should like it. But in seminary I had my first
go at ratatouille, which I found surprisingly delicious. A fellow seminarian
complained to me, saying that eggplant was “one of the most disgusting things
on God’s green earth.” I argued to the contrary but I could see where he was
coming from.
Occasionaly,
eggplant still disgusts me. I recently tried pan-cooked eggplant (melanzane della nonna) and after the
first bite I felt an urge I don’t usually feel with food I’ve prepared myself. But
now, I’ve figured out how I like my eggplants: I want them fried long enough to
kill the texture and smothered in something else so they don’t taste too much
like eggplant. Ratatouille is an excellent example, the tomatoes give the whole
thing a generic healthy flavour and you don’t really notice there’s
eggplant in it.
One
other recipe that helps me appreciate eggplant is “eggs with aubergines” (p.
431 of The Silver Spoon). And it’s super easy to make too! What’s there not to
like then? Take one small eggplant p.p. and two eggs for one or two, then one
egg extra for every other happy eater. Step one is to slice the eggplant in
thin but still firm slices, salt the slices and leave them to sit in a colander
for thirty minutes. The salting extracts water from the plant and along with it
some of the bitterness. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f. Dip the slices of
eggplant in flour and fry them in hot olive oil. Be sure to bake them really
hot so they get brown and a bit crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, season with
pepper and salt. Then dot some tomato puree or passata on top of the slices.
Arrange them in a greased ovenproof dish, break the eggs on top and bake for
some 25 minutes. The whites will have set and the eggplant now pleasantly
tastes like omelette with tomatoes!
Love the blog! I've really been wanting to try eggplant. I even have this dish marked in our copy of the Silver Spoon. I was slightly deterred when I told my sister I thought of buying an eggplant plant and she went on to tell me eggplant was gross and I would hate it. Perhaps I will take your advice and make sure I first try it when it is fried and smothered in something else :) Happy blogging and hello to your friend Trish as well!!
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