Fried eggplant. Baked eggplant. Marinated eggplant. Baba ganoush. Parmigiano. Moussaka. Ratatouille. I’ve always loved eggplant. I’ve also always considered eggplant a pain in the patootie. Who needs thin slices of salted eggplant lined up on paper towels across every flat surface in the kitchen? You see I’ve always read that eggplant MUST be salted before cooking to bring out its best qualities.
But does it really?
I know from experience that the idea of soaking dried beans overnight isn’t really a necessary step (necessarily). It’s a step I confidently skip plenty of times. Sure, I’ve heard the extra step makes the beans more sweet and creamy.
But does it really?
“Yeah but…” you might be thinking. Beans aren’t really bitter. Eggplant is bitter.
But is it really?
I recently read that the bitterness was bred out of eggplant decades ago so the need to draw out the juices before cooking is a moot point.
But is it really?
I don’t know. So I turned to some of my favorite experts.
Ada Boni, in her 1969 Italian Regional Cooking, salts for an hour, as does her successor queen of Italian food, Marcella Hazan. Nancy Silverton and Judy Rodgers use salt, but as more of a seasoning. Modern cooks like Yotam Ottolenghi and Rachel Roddy tend not to salt. Hmmm…
The LA Times’ recipe for Honey & Vinegar Marinated Eggplant called for salting – so I salted. One taste proved that I must have done something right…
1 tablespoonfine sea salt(plus more as needed for seasoning)
1 ½ cupextra-virgin olive oil(plus more as needed)
2 large shallots(peeled and thinly sliced)
2 clovegarlic(peeled and chopped)
1 ½ teaspoonsweet paprika
⅓ cupbalsamic vinegar
⅓ cupsherry vinegar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoonhoney
1 lemon(juice only)
¼ cupchopped parsley(optional)
2 teaspoontoasted sesame seeds(optional)
Directions
Trim 1 inch off the top and bottom of each eggplant. Halve each eggplant crosswise, then stand each half on one end and cut each into 8 wedges, for 32 pieces total. Toss the wedges with 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl, then arrange them with one cut side down on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Drain for 2 to 4 hours. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.
Heat a heavy-bottomed large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half cup olive oil, then arrange half the eggplant with one cut side down until the bottoms are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add an additional quarter cup oil, flip the eggplant and fry until the other side is golden brown, about 6 minutes more. Transfer to a plate to cool and repeat with the remaining eggplant and an additional three-quarters cup olive oil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour any oil left in the pan into a bowl. Return 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet, or add more fresh oil to make 2 tablespoons. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add both kinds of vinegar, the thyme, and 2 tablespoons water. Swirl the liquids and scrape any browned bits from the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the honey. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the browned eggplant and gently stir to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the eggplant softens but is not mushy, about 5 minutes. Cover and cook until the eggplant softens further and one-eighth inch of liquid remains in the skillet, about 5 minutes more. Taste and add more honey and salt, if desired.
Transfer to a nonreactive bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, transfer to the refrigerator and chill completely, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.
When ready to serve, remove the eggplant from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the lemon juice, then garnish with the parsley and sesame seeds (if using).
I haven’t cooked a lot of eggplant, but I would absolutely devour this recipe.
I love eggplant! But coming from a Filipino household salting them was not a thing so I’ve never adopted the habit. This is similar to a concoction I use to brush on my eggplants when roasting them but have not tried it with honey, paprika or sesame seeds–bet it’s so good. Actually, I know I’d love this.
The eggplant sounds delicious. I can see using it as the main ingredient on a grilled panini.
Greg, this sounds like something I would binge on! And, no, I wouldn’t salt. I’m streamlining these days, anywhere it makes sense! But I’d love for you to try it without salting and report back to us!
I love eggplant but have resorted to only buying the Chinese eggplant because I generally don’t have time to salt. This recipe looks like it’s worth it.
LOL oh we love to doubt ourselves, but our tastes buds should explain all. I am in Valentina’s camp… salt the large ones and not the smaller ones, but who really knows.
Love this post. Or do I? Actually when I grow my own eggplants, I don’t salt them or peel them. Sometimes I only grow Japanese eggplants, which have fewer seeds, so I definitely don’t bother with salting. If I buy big eggplants at the grocery store where I live, not having access to beautiful farmers’ markets in Los Angeles, I salt and semi-peel. Great recipe!
I don’t salt anymore, Greg, but should I? I really don’t know. I do know I will be making this soon. We love eggplant, too.
I usually don’t salt. In fact, I almost never do — the pain factor. I haven’t noticed that salting actually makes a huge difference, and I’ve read the same thing about the bitterness being bred out. But I almost try to buy smallish eggplants, too — that might make a difference. Anyway, this looks like a terrific recipe — and one I want to try. Thanks!
I usually salt those large Italian eggplants and not the smaller Japanese or Chinese eggplants. And as it turns out, I’m not sure how or why I came up with this. In any case this recipe looks super delicious. 🙂