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Eggplant Information




Source of Recipe


Linda Faus-FOODday
Before you roast whole eggplant in the oven, be sure to prick the skin several times. I didn't and an eggplant exploded as I tested to see if it was done cooking-pretty messy and potentially hazardous.
[-]
eggplant is notorious for soaking up oil like a sponge. When browning it, just brush a little oil on the eggplant instead of pouring the oil into the skillet. [-]

Also from the Oregonian;

"Put salt before oil"- Lynne Terry.
[-] for years, cookbooks have advised salting raw pieces of eggplant before cooking to draw out bitterness. Salting also stems the sponge like quality of eggplants, according to Harold McGee's "On food and cooking". The salt draws moisture from the cells into air pockets, causing the spongy texture of the eggplant to collapse. Fewer or smaller air pockets means the eggplant drinks less oil in the frying pan. Less oil is better for waistline and taste buds. (Few sensations are as bad as biting into eggplant saturated with oil).
If you are on a low-sodium diet, not to worry. Brief microwaving achieves the same effect, McGee says. A little bit of science saves you a lot of oil when it comes to eggplant.