Eggplant
In early times, botanists called eggplant Mala insana,
or “mad apple,” because they thought that eating it would drive a
person insane. They’ve of course been disproved, but I suspect they were
on the right track; I for one am unquestionably mad for eggplant.
Sautéed, fried, stewed, roasted, pureed or grilled, give me eggplant or
nothing at all.
I am a particular sucker
for eggplant parmesan. It is my most-ordered dish in restaurants and a stand-by
at home as well. I like to fry thin slices coated in breadcrumbs, add a dollop
of tomato sauce and a ball of fresh mozzarella to each one, bake them until the
cheese is melted, and eat them with fresh basil on top. I love the crisp
outside and the tender creamy eggplant interior, the way the slight bitterness
of the vegetable is softened and sweetened by the sauce. This is a classic
pairing, and with good reason: tomatoes and eggplant are cousins in the
nightshade family.
Sadly, I recently
learned that the spongy flesh of the eggplant absorbs more fat in cooking than
any other vegetable. According to an Australian study, when a serving of sliced
eggplant is deep-fried, it absorbs 83 grams of fat in just 70 seconds—four
times as much as an equal portion of potatoes—adding more than 700
calories. Not that this unsettling bit of news will make me renounce parmesan
forever, but I have sought out less sinful means of sating my eggplant
obsession.
For instance, there is a red
pepper and eggplant soup that I’ve been itching to try, in which the
peppers and eggplant are blended into a smooth bisque and seasoned with lemon
juice, basil and thyme. Sounds delicious. But for dinner last night, it was
roasted eggplant that did the trick, mixed into a lemony orzo, veggie and
grilled chicken salad.
Technically a
berry, eggplant comes in an enormous array of shapes and sizes, from spherical
to cylindrical, from 2 to 12 inches in length. There are small, creamy-white,
egg-shaped eggplants (from which the plant is named); long slender Japanese
eggplants; tiny, green, grape-like Thai eggplants; rosy pink and white striped
eggplants; and our very common pear-shape variety with a smooth, glossy, dark
purple skin. I chose an Italian eggplant, which looks like a miniature of this
last kind. It is a great option when cooking for one or two since it is small
but very tender and flavorful.
I sliced
it into rounds, salted them liberally and let them rest for about thirty
minutes. There is much debate over salting eggplant. The salt pulls moisture
out of the slices, makes the flesh less porous, and lessens the potential
absorption of fat, which, we now know, is a very good thing. It also may help
to reduce the eggplant’s bitterness. In recent years, however,
cultivation and crossbreeding have greatly improved the vegetable’s
natural flavor; these days it has only a whisper of the bitterness that has
given it such a bad rap for so long.
While the eggplant rested, I grilled
some chicken breast that had been marinating in lemon juice and oregano. I also
boiled a pot of orzo (rice-shaped pasta) and drizzled over it a simple dressing
of lemon juice, good olive oil, a bit of mustard, salt and pepper. If you
dress it while it’s still hot, the orzo soaks up the liquid and becomes
intensely flavorful.
When I came back
to the eggplant, the slices were dotted with beads of water. I brushed them
off, patted them dry and cut them in rough cubes (it’s not a good idea to
rinse salted eggplant, as it will just soak the salty water back up). I tumbled
the cubes in a little olive oil and herbs de provence and roasted them in a very
hot oven with some slices of zucchini, red peppers and red onions. When the
veggies were done, I tossed them into the warm fragrant orzo, and mixed in
slices of grilled chicken. I crumbed feta cheese over the top and added a
generous sprinkling of fresh basil and
parsley.
Oh. My. Lord. How do I love
thee orzo and roasted veggie salad? Let me count the ways... with my mouth
full, because it is just insanely yummy. And I do mean insane, since it is good
enough to turn a sound mind batty. Which brings me back to my earlier point
regarding mental health and the eggplant. It’s interesting: eggplant
ranks among the most popular edible vegetables of the world and is widely used
throughout Europe and the Mediterranean basin, India, the Far East, and
practically all Latin American countries. Only in America are most folks
reluctant to give into eggplant folly – they hold their sanity too
dear.
Posted: Fri - July 9, 2004 at 12:02 PM