LOS ANGELES, January 12, 2012- Chances are if you don’t cook Italian or Asian dishes you probably aren’t too familiar with eggplant. Eggplant is a purple vegetable and, though purple is not an appetizing color, is quite delicious and very appetizing.
When buying eggplant, purchase one that is heavy in weight, (this ensures little water loss) beautiful and bright in color with no indentations or bruises. When an eggplant is bruised, you can tell because the flesh becomes slightly brown and soft in the bruised area. Beware, if you don’t inspect it closely you could miss it.
Other important information to consider when you are purchasing an eggplant is the width. An eggplant that is wider will have more seeds and can be bitter where as an eggplant that is narrow in width will have fewer seeds and will be less bitter.
Los Angeles, Ca 1/12/12 Eggplant
By: Chef Mary P. Moran
Storage of an eggplant should be in the refrigerator loosely kept in a plastic bag. Typically, when an eggplant is displayed at the grocery store, it can be purchased in two ways: Loose and unpackaged or in a plastic tray wrapped tightly with plastic. Either way, you want to remove it from the tightly wrapped plastic so it can breathe when you store it at home.
An eggplant should be eaten no more than a few days after you’ve purchased it. An eggplant is a unique vegetable because the exterior does not change with age, however, the interior does but isn’t detectable by the naked eye. The meat of an eggplant becomes bitter the older it gets. To tell if an eggplant is ready to eat it should be firm but soft. Lightly press the sides of the eggplant and if the indentation stays for a few seconds it is perfectly ripe and ready to eat.
To remove the bitter taste from an eggplant you can try some different methods:
- Spread kosher salt over cut eggplant and let it sit for 30 minutes
- Soak the cut eggplant in cold water for 30 minutes
- Soak the cut eggplant in cold salted water for 30 minutes
My preference is to spread the kosher salt over the eggplant because it also removes excess water. However, it all depends on the dish I’m making. When I’m making eggplant parmesan (where water is the enemy), I prefer the salt method. When I’m making eggplant caviar, I don’t mind a little extra water to allow the eggplant to puree smoother so I prefer the cold water method.
Eggplant by: Mary P. Moran
Preparation of the eggplant is up to you and your taste buds. My mother always removes the skin because she doesn’t like the texture after it’s cooked but I love the added chewiness. Either way, skin on or skin off, eggplants are delicious. If you’d like to try the skin on, you can always score (make a cross hatch cut on the skin) the skin so it’s easier to chew when it’s cooked. Eggplant is delicious grilled with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Or try it sautéed with tomatoes, onions, basil and garlic or baked as cannelloni.
Eggplant is a delicious in the wintertime because it is warm, rich and creamy and adds another layer of flavor to any dish. Next time you’re in the grocery store, stop by the eggplant section and bring a few home to the family.
And let me know if you have any questions (email link is above)
Happy Cooking!
Chef Mary
For more great cooking tips, recipes and stories from Chef Mary, visit her blog. To learn more about Chef Mary, check out her Hail Mary's, Inc. Web site. E-mail questions for Ask Chef Mary Fridays to mary@hailmarysinc.com or click the Ask Chef Mary link above.
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The information provided is general information about healthy eating. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice or treatment that may have been prescribed by your physician or other health care provider. Always consult a physician before starting any new diet or regimen.
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