Eggplants were first introduced to Europe by Arab farmers in Spain and Sicily. The anonymous Cordoban Calender of 961 mentions eggplants. In Sicily the word for eggplant, milinciana derives from the Arabic word for the plant bādhinjān. It was not at all popular at first.
Eggplant, part of the nightshade family, made its appearance in Italy in the 15th century. Since then, it’s become a feature ingredient in countless dishes, from eggplant Parmesan, to moussaka, to baba ghanoush, and countless stir-fries. Eggplant’s meaty texture adds substance to vegetarian dishes, and its nutty taste complements a wide variety of flavors: bright tomatoes, creamy yogurt and cheese, and spicy chiles.
Shopping for Eggplant
The four most common varieties: large globe, small Italian, slender Chinese, and apple-shaped Thai. Only the globe eggplant was suitable for all cooking methods. Click here to learn more about our eggplant investigation.
When shopping for eggplant keep the following tips in mind:
Eggplant should look shiny, with no blemishes.
Look for eggplants that feel full and heavy for their size.
Eggplants peak from late summer through early fall.
Do I Need to Peel Eggplant?
Peel eggplant in dishes where you want the eggplant to really cook down into a smooth texture, like Ratatuoile, or when its skin might be a distraction. It’s a personal preference: Some recipe charing the skin adds a desired smoky taste to the dish (babaganoush). You can also half peel (ZEBRA) style the skin.
Should I Salt Eggplant Before Cooking?
Eggplants are spongy because they are full of air pockets and water. Cooking eggplant in oil without removing some of that water beforehand, they absorb the oil, and turn the eggplant greasy.
Tossing eggplant with salt pulls water out via osmosis, which collapses some of the eggplant’s cells, reducing the amount of air pockets. Fewer air pockets means will absorb less oil. The process takes at least 30 minutes. Then drain and blotting the eggplant dry with paper towels.
TIP
To speed things up, use the microwave. Toss chopped eggplant with salt, arrange it in a single layer on paper towels . After a few minutes in the microwave, the heats turns the water to steam, the eggplant shrinks to about half its size, and the moisture is absorbed by the paper towels.
Salting and microwaving eggplant before cooking collapses its air pockets and helps prevent it from absorbing too much oil during cooking.
EGGPLANT INVOLTINI - For a lighter approach to these cheese-filled eggplant rolls, we bake instead of fry the eggplant before rolling and stuffing it.
EGGPLANT PECORINI