Eggplant Disappointment

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Last night I had some eggplant lasagna which turned out to be unexpectedly good. I've been neglecting eggplant (mostly due to its unwanted side effects), so tonight I thought I would get some Imam Baldi at a local Lebanese-owned restaurant. It was absolute rubbish. Rubbery and dry and flavorless, in the same flavorless mix of tomato sauces and baked vegetables that they serve over their disappointing vegetarian cous-cous.

― Rcokist Scientist, Tuesday, 13 May 2003 21:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Eggplant is rather tricky to deal with. A lot of the supermarkerts around here carry these monster-sized eggplants which I find to be bitter, woody and terrible to cook with. If you've got a Asian market nearby, look for the narrow, squash-sized ones.

Make sure to salt them a little bit before cooking as it'll help draw the water out and keep the eggplant from getting mushy.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 21:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I just noticed that you guys were at a restaurant.... never mind.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 21:46 (twenty-three years ago)

I know how make eggplant. I am just very lazy about cooking, but I have a respectable record of eggplany cookery.

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 13 May 2003 21:50 (twenty-three years ago)

eggplant makes me sick, so it's a disappointment every time.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 13 May 2003 22:25 (twenty-three years ago)

You should start calling it 'aubergine' instead - it's much less revolting sounding.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 22:29 (twenty-three years ago)

also to make it non-bitter salt it then wash it

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 22:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Print Chris's instructions and hand them to the Maitre'D when you walk in.

― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 23:07 (twenty-three years ago)

nickn, now that's a useful suggestion.

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 13 May 2003 23:37 (twenty-three years ago)

How odd, it only needs to be lightly griddled for a few moments and then it's lovely. I'm surprised anyone could could fuck up aubergine.

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 23:40 (twenty-three years ago)

"griddle" is such a cool word

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 13 May 2003 23:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought this thread was going to be about discovering that eggs don't grow on plants.

Is eggplant a color in the US?

― Simeon (Simeon), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 12:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought this was going to be a recipe. Like "Eggplant Surprise" but only less-so.

― kate, Wednesday, 14 May 2003 12:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Drenching the buggers in olive oil is good too.

I've only ever had eggplant lasagne once in the US of states and it was FANTASTICALLY amazing. It appears to not exist over here - I must give it a go. I ate it in a grebt NYC italian greasy spoon type place - so the yank equiv of Pollo then. Good stuff.

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 12:39 (twenty-three years ago)

do the salt and wash thing then rub with olive oil and put on a hot hot hot grill.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 12:47 (twenty-three years ago)

moutabel roxx http://appetizerrecipe.com/AZ/Mtbl.asp

Is the salt thing worth the effort though -- do some science to check.

― Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Also Backlazjani rules things to do with aubergines.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:42 (twenty-three years ago)

cooking and eating = all the science you need

with salt it is bitter + w/o not = QED

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:43 (twenty-three years ago)

unless you don't hate bitterness

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:44 (twenty-three years ago)

You should call them neither eggplants nor aubergines but BRINJALS.

― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:48 (twenty-three years ago)

mmmmm brinjal bhaji

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:50 (twenty-three years ago)

And this is why.

― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 13:50 (twenty-three years ago)

kate, I should go back and say "I wanted the Imam Baldi, not the Eggplant Disappointment."

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 14 May 2003 16:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought that eggplant bitterness was a result of the age of the fruit, or maybe having something to do with the seeds. Sheesh, I need to go read one of those kitchen since books again.

Anyway, in addition to decreasing the bitterness, salting the flesh and then allowing it to drain through a collander for some time does remove lots of the extra liquid from the flesh, so that when you cook the slices they do not become all mushy (that's a technical word, right?).

Of course, there are circumstances when you want the eggplant flesh to be mushy, such as when making a dip (in which case, the egplant is usually roasted hole, then cut in half, seeds removed, and then the flesh scraped from the shell. Also, depending on how you are going to cook the slices you may or may not want to remove the water via the salting method.

And I love a good eggplant lasagne. And a roasted eggplant burger, too (on an onion roll! With roasted red bell peppers and roasted garlic and such).

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Thursday, 15 May 2003 17:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Eggplant Parmesan sandwiches (on sourdough)are good amd easy to make.

Slice eggplant lengthwise and fry, heat bottled spaghetti sauce while toasting bread, combine with a slice of Mozerella (and extra spices if the sauce is bland) and enjoy!

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 15 May 2003 20:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Best way to improve aubergine = encase it in cement and throw it in the nearest river.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 16 May 2003 18:03 (twenty-three years ago)

but salt and wash it first obv

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 16 May 2003 18:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Martin, some day archaeologist will find it and claim it is a prehistoric dildo.

― Rockist Scientist, Friday, 16 May 2003 20:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Or a religious artifact (or both haw haw).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 16 May 2003 20:58 (twenty-three years ago)

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