Eggplant: What's To Like?

Eggplant is is not an exciting fruit. Though beautiful while on the vine, it doesn't sparkle and thrill the way that ripe cherries or fresh peaches do. While edible raw, it is not very appealing that way. Once harvested, it has a short shelf life. Once cooked, it loses its shape and color. The flavor is somewhat non-descript and, if anything, slightly bitter. So why have they been used on almost every continent by numerous cultures for 1,000s of years?

Like potatoes, eggplant's versatility comes from its blandness. When cooked, it easily falls apart into a soft puree, which adds creaminess and a comforting texture. In France, eggplant is an integral component in of the vegetable stew Ratatouille, which also includes tomatoes, onions, peppers, zucchini, garlic, oregano and basil. Most Middle Eastern countries make a version of Baba Ghanouj, which is a roasted eggplant puree with garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and parsley. In both of these preparations eggplant's role is to help the other ingredients shine and it is often used as a medium for other flavors..

Nutrition

Eggplant contains fiber, Vitamin B6, folate, niacin, and thiamin as well as potassium, magnesium and calcium. Research currently being done shows that eggplant contains many of the phenolic compounds that are known to act as antioxidants in our bodies. In fact the bitterness comes from these compounds. (The Asian cultivars of eggplant have fewer of these compounds and therefore have a milder flavor.) The skin of eggplant also contains anthocyanins, which are the dark blue or purple pigment that give the skin of the eggplant its beautiful color. Anthocyanins are thought to protect against free radicals.

Selection

When purchasing eggplant, buy fruits that are firm and heavy for their size. The skin should be smooth and tight. You don't want to but a wrinkly blemished eggplant because as they age they become increasingly bitter. Eggplant is available for purchase all year long, but there is nothing to compare to fresh eggplant just off the vine during the late summer. At the farmers market you will be able to find eggplants in a variety of shapes and sizes, they can be purple, white, red or green, striped or solid. Those eggplants that are smaller and lighter color tend to have a milder flavor. They also have a thinner more tender skin. There are only slight differences in flavor between the cultivars and not much difference in texture so you can substitute any type of eggplant in a recipe.

Storage

Eggplant is botanically a fruit, but unlike many other fruits, you don't take it home and expect it to ripen further. It is picked at its peak ripeness and should be consumed shortly after it is harvested. When you get it home, store it in the refrigerator, but be careful because they are sensitive to chilling injury if your refrigerator is too cold. To prevent them from wilting from too much water loss, wrap them in perforated plastic wrap and don't store them for longer then about 7 days.

Preparation

When you are ready to cook the eggplant you first have to decide if you want to peel it or not. There are two factors to consider; the first is that the skin doesn't always soften completely when it is cooked and some people object to the texture it lends to certain preparations. The second factor is that for many types of eggplant, the mineral content is higher in the skin than in the flesh, so I don't peel it unless I have to.

Many cooks salt their eggplant before cooking it. There are two schools of thought about the reason for doing this. The first is that salting eggplant removes some of the bitterness. The second is that the salt inhibits the eggplant from absorbing too much oil. There is no scientific study that I am aware of that addresses either of these issues, so you will have to come to a conclusion based on your own experience. Salting definitely removes some of the water from the eggplant which helps it to hold it shape for certain types of preparations like baking. I generally don't salt the small Asian eggplants but do sometimes salt the large dark purple ones.

To salt an eggplant, slice it into pieces, or cut it in half lengthwise and score it with a knife in a cross hatch pattern, sprinkle it very liberally with salt and let it drain in a colander for about an hour (some people like to place a bowl of top of it to weigh it down. After it is finished draining rinse it in water to remove the salt and then pat it dry with paper towels.

Peter Hoffman is the chef/owner of Savoy in New York City, which he opened with his wife, Susan Rosenfeld in 1990. Sourcing exceptional ingredients from local farmers and other regional producers is one of the hallmarks of the restaurant. In support of local and sustainable agriculture, Hoffman is the National Chair of the Chefs Collaborative and sat on the Advisory Board of the NYC Greenmarkets for over 15 years. He graciously contributed the following recipes. If you would like more information about Savoy - go to www.savoynyc.com.

Eggplant Caviar for Tomorrow
Make this recipe on a night when you will be grilling outside and plan on eating it the next day.

Ingredients
3 medium eggplant
2-6 cloves garlic
3-4 sprigs of basil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method
Place the whole eggplant on the dying embers of the grill after you have taken your steak or fish off the grill and sat down to eat. Turn them once or twice when you get up to get more corn or another bottle of rose from the cooler. When they are soft all around and somewhat sunken remove them to a plate, cover them in plastic wrap and go to bed. Tomorrow, take them out of the fridge and slice them open. Scrape out the flesh and put in a bowl. Add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic or better yet 6 cloves garlic from a head that has roasted on the edge of the grill while the fish and the eggplant roasted. Mix in 3-4 sprigs of basil roughly chopped and slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup half extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper. On the serving plate garnish with some torn basil leaves and drizzle again with olive oil. Serve with fresh bread or croutons.

Grilled Eggplant with Coriander Salsa Verde

Use Italian purple eggplant. At the market they should be taut, fully colored and sometimes have a nice thunk to them when you tap them. Cut into thick (1-1/2 to 2 inch) slices. Brush with extra virgin olive oil. Place on a hot grill- just a few minutes after you see bright orange coals. Salt just prior to grilling. I am not a proponent of pre-salting. Check for nice black grill marks and after 2-3 minutes turn them over and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove to a platter and spoon over the salsa verde. Serve at room temperature with other summer vegetables like roasted red peppers and blanched string beans.

Coriander Salsa Verde

Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh coriander (aka cilantro)
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic finely minced
juice of half lemon
1 tsp fresh ginger finely minced
pinch paprika
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt

Method
Place the ginger, garlic, salt, herbs and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse the machine. Be careful not to over puree. Add oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon over eggplant.

Stuffed Eggplant

Ingredients
2 large eggplants split length wise in sixths (leave the skin on)
1 large eggplant, skinned and cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
1 pound ground lamb
2 cups canned plum tomatoes
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley

Method
Salt the eggplants and set aside for 30 minutes. Finely chop the garlic and the onion and saute in olive oil. Add the lamb and stir breaking up the bits of meat. Once the meat is cooked add the eggplant cubes and the tomatoes. Cover and allow the vegetables to soften. Season it with salt and pepper. Meanwhile brush the eggplant lengths with olive oil and bake them in a 300 oven for 30". Remove and allow it to cool. The slippers should have flattened out a bit. Spoon the cooked mixture on top of the baked slices. Garnish with a generous sprinkling of pine nuts and chopped parsley. Reheat for serving in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes. Reserve at least 2 for lunch tomorrow.