Eggplant: varieties, selection, processing and preparation
Although eggplant is actually considered a fruit (more accurately, a berry), it is used in cooking as a vegetable. Eggplant is native to Southeast Asia, but is grown throughout the world.
There are many different types of eggplant: Mediterranean cuisine favors varieties with glossy, dark purple skin and a convex, airship-like shape; Asia is characterized by small, plum-colored tubular varieties and ivory-colored, ovoid ones; and Thailand grows small eggplants slightly larger than a pea. However, all varieties share a mild flavor, spongy flesh when raw, and soft flesh when cooked.
How to buy
Eggplants are sold in stores all year round, with the best season being from late May to mid-October.
How to choose
The fruit should be firm, with smooth, glossy skin and bright green stems. A fresh eggplant should feel quite heavy.
Processing
To prevent eggplants from browning, cut them just before cooking. Previously, recipes recommended salting sliced eggplants before cooking to reduce their bitterness. Since modern varieties have a less bitter taste, salting is no longer necessary. However, it is recommended to salt eggplants before frying to prevent them from absorbing too much oil.
Storage
Eggplants should be stored in the refrigerator's vegetable and fruit drawer; they will keep for several days.
Preparation
Eggplant can often be found baked in traditional Greek moussaka (a dish of eggplant, meat, and tomatoes baked in layers under a creamy sauce) or in Provençal ratatouille.
In the Middle East, eggplant is used in a dish called baba ganoush, a sauce made from baked eggplants then pureed with garlic, tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, salt, and cumin. You can make dipping sauce made from pureed eggplants and serve it with vegetables, chips and bread, dipping them in this sauce.
Eggplant is thinly sliced and fried to make chips.
All recipes with eggplant
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