Cooking with aubergine/eggplant

[Windigo]

It's not so complicated to cook, but surely some care is needed. For example, they must first be purged by sprinkling them with coarse salt, so that they lose their water and a little bitterness. Then it depends on how you want to cook them.

This. I usually grill them for a while too before using them in a dish, that makes them really soft and flavorful.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Eggplants, a bit outside of my wheelhouse, but i've cooked with these two types before (image not my own):

The "traditional" eggplant on the left and the "Chinese" eggplant on the right.
To be honest, I've cooked the Chinese eggplant more often. I recall using it in a stir-fry with minced pork and a heavy dose of garlic. It was delicious, and it might be time to make that again!

 

[PabloLerntKochen]

The ability to soak up oil and other fluids is really cool. Yesterday we used eggplant as an ingredient for lunch. Pasta with pan fried beef strips in a pommery mustard sauce with eggplant and zucchini.

Grilled eggplant just with some salt is also pretty cool.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I grilled some eggplant/aubergine slices yesterday - to make a moussaka. About a dozen slices were left, so they will be "sandwiched" - a slice of mozzarella between - dipped in egg, breadcrumbs and gently fried. Served with a balsamic tomato sauce.

 

[MypinchofItaly]

I grilled some eggplant/aubergine slices yesterday - to make a moussaka. About a dozen slices were left, so they will be "sandwiched" - a slice of mozzarella between - dipped in egg, breadcrumbs and gently fried. Served with a balsamic tomato sauce.

Your recipe sounds like something I made few days ago. Fried aubergine sandwich with prosciutto cotto (cooked ham) and cheese

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

The ability to soak up oil and other fluids is really cool.

I remember the first time I cooked eggplant I had no idea how effective it was at absorbing oil! I looked at the eggplant slices in the pan and remarked "but where did the oil go?"

 

[MypinchofItaly]

I remember the first time I cooked eggplant I had no idea how effective it was at absorbing oil! I looked at the eggplant slices in the pan and remarked "but where did the oil go?"

They are also known as “veggie sponges”

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Aubergines, brilliant veg, I got 20 plants growing in the greenhouse, can't wait for them to grow.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Aubergines, brilliant veg, I got 20 plants growing in the greenhouse, can't wait for them to grow.

What's the typical yield per plant? one at a time or a few?

 

[medtran49]

What's the typical yield per plant? one at a time or a few?

When we grew them in our courtyard garden, we had 8 plants I think and more than the 2 of us could, or wanted to, eat. FYI though, I had to hand pollinate with a little clean paint brush. We had gotten blooms, but no eggplants until I decided to do that and then whoosh off they went. You'll have to start them in late October or November, too hot otherwise.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

What's the typical yield per plant? one at a time or a few?

Generally 4/5 to a plant