White Eggplant with Mint
Eggplant is another one of those things that Chris doesn't really like, so I wait till he's not around to give it a lot of attention. I didn't always love eggplant, but once I realized that it really just works as a vehicle for flavor, I changed my tune. And those little white eggplants at the farmers market are just so darn cute!
I'm still new to cooking eggplant though, so occasionally things go horribly wrong. Eggplant when done wrong... is, um... well, it becomes bitter and slimy and I just can't stomach it. Since Chris is going out of town next weekend, I'm brushing up on my summer eggplant skills now so I can have my own personal eggplant-palooza once the weekend rolls around.
White Eggplant with Mint
from Gourmet, August 2004
1 1/2 lbs. small white eggplants (about 3), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 1/4 tsps. salt
5 tbsps. red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped mint
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Toss eggplant with 1 tsp. salt in a colander in the sink and let drain for 30 min. Rinse eggplant and drain, pressing gently to extract extra liquid, and pat dry. This is optional - people seem to be of two camps regarding the whole "salt and drain the eggplant" business and I honestly can't tell the difference.
- Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic and mint.
- Heat oil in saucepan over moderately high heat, then fry/saute eggplant about 4-6 slices at a time. Cook through until pale golden (about 1 min. per side), then transfer to dish with paper towels to drain.
- Transfer to a shallow dish to drain, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon vinegar- mint mixture over each layer. Marinate eggplant, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.
The recipe says to marinate a max of 24 hours, but I've been fine with more than that.
I'm still new to cooking eggplant though, so occasionally things go horribly wrong. Eggplant when done wrong... is, um... well, it becomes bitter and slimy and I just can't stomach it. Since Chris is going out of town next weekend, I'm brushing up on my summer eggplant skills now so I can have my own personal eggplant-palooza once the weekend rolls around.
White Eggplant with Mint
from Gourmet, August 2004
1 1/2 lbs. small white eggplants (about 3), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 1/4 tsps. salt
5 tbsps. red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped mint
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Toss eggplant with 1 tsp. salt in a colander in the sink and let drain for 30 min. Rinse eggplant and drain, pressing gently to extract extra liquid, and pat dry. This is optional - people seem to be of two camps regarding the whole "salt and drain the eggplant" business and I honestly can't tell the difference.
- Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic and mint.
- Heat oil in saucepan over moderately high heat, then fry/saute eggplant about 4-6 slices at a time. Cook through until pale golden (about 1 min. per side), then transfer to dish with paper towels to drain.
- Transfer to a shallow dish to drain, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon vinegar- mint mixture over each layer. Marinate eggplant, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.
The recipe says to marinate a max of 24 hours, but I've been fine with more than that.
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