Eggplant help

I was just in the supermarket and I bought a trout (because that's my favourite fish). Then I wandered through the produce department looking for a veggie that would go with trout. I saw eggplant and I thought that would go great, so I bought one.

I have no idea how to cook eggplant. Any suggestions? I'm looking for something quite simple (not like ratatouille). I'm cooking the trout whole, sauteed, with boiled potatoes.

why don't you chop the potatoes and the eggplant...drizzle evoo over the top of them and add sea salt, fresh ground pepper, a bit of paprika and roast them in the oven?? you can make a little foil packet and that would work fantastic.

I love it grilled, drizzled with EVOO and red wine vinegar.

Just out of interest what's evoo?

I chop aubergine (you say tomato etc) drizzle witha little olive oil and oven roast with some herbs.

Oh yes and sliced and griddled is good too!

EVOO = extra virgin olive oil. Rachel Rae uses it all the time on her cooking show Thirty Minute Meals.

I prefer regular olive oil... these are good suggestions, keep em coming!

Ah thatll be what I get in return for my olives from the bodega!!

I do an healthy version of eggplant parm: cook the eggplant 'til tender then top with a good chunky marinara. You can sprinkle with some white or other hard cheese.  Baking after that is optional but sure makes the kitchen smell nice!

Also I just learned a really swell eggplant tip: slice it up then sprinkle with salt.  let it sit for 10-20 minutes or so, brush some off before cooking.  It takes out that weird bite eggplant can have.  Super duper yum!

This.

Cut up the eggplant into slices or strips. You can peel it or leave the skin on. Some sources recommend sprinkling the slices with salt and letting them sit in a strainer for 30 mins. The salt extracts some of the bitter compounds in the eggplant. If I'm grilling eggplant, I usually leave this step out.

My favourite way to eat eggplant is grilled, along with red peppers, zucchini and onions, all served with goat cheese.

Here's a recipe for baked eggplant. It's similiar to eggplant parmesan except the recipe is vegan: http://blog.vegcooking.com/2008/11/breaded_an d_baked_italian_eggp_1.php

Chop eggplant and tomatoes into a casserole dish.  Drizzle with evoo, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and fresh basil.  300 degrees, 15 minutes.  Yum!

Recipe I want to try.

Bake egg plant for 30 minutes (poke some holes in it). Then squeeze the context and let it drain for a few minutes. After that make a hummus and use that instead of chickpeas. I saw Good Eats episode on Eggplant and it was one of the recipes. he he. Damn Alton Brown awesome.

UD

Original Post by umneydurak:

Recipe I want to try.

Bake egg plant for 30 minutes (poke some holes in it). Then squeeze the context and let it drain for a few minutes. After that make a hummus and use that instead of chickpeas. I saw Good Eats episode on Eggplant and it was one of the recipes. he he. Damn Alton Brown awesome.

UD

 Sounds like baba ghanoush.

Yes, thank  you! I forgot the name. I am so making it next week or over the weekend. I have a somewhat big jar of Tahini that needs to be used up, and I ran out of dry chickpeas. Plus I don't have a blender at the moment. :(

UD

jenningermany wins! Her casserole with eggplant and tomato sounds like just the thing. I didn't mention it but I have a spare tomato, an I think it would keep the dish from being bland.

I don't have fresh basil so I think I'll use dried "herbes de Provence" blend.

Thanks everyone!