Nothing is better than simple, roasted vegetables. This eggplant is no exception and dead simple to make. Eggplant tends to go bitter, especially in the peel, but an hour soak in a bit of salt quickly fixes the problem. Choose eggplants with bright, even skin colors, firm rather than mushy feeling, without any bruises. If there's discoloration by the time you're cooking it, peel that skin away.
Balsamic-Glazed Roasted Eggplant
1 large eggplant
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
Balsamic Glaze
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp honey or brown sugar
Wash the eggplant and dry thoroughly. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Halve the eggplant and slice into about 1-1/2 to 2" cubes, keeping the skin. Spread the pieces on the kitchen towel, skin side down, and sprinkle with the salt. Make sure a little of the salt gets onto each piece. Let sit for 45 minutes to an hour. You should be able to see little beads of water forming on the vegetable cubes.
Heat the oven to 400ยบ. Use the kitchen towel to gently press the salt and excess moisture out of the eggplant. Spread the eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Toss to coat. (Add more oil if you like but don't add too much because eggplant just absorbs it.) Bake 30-40 minutes, turning the pieces once to let them brown evenly. The finished eggplant should be soft and deeply browned. Try a piece to determine if it's finished.
Mix the glaze in a bowl or shake it up in a small jar. Pour over the eggplant and toss. Serve the hearty, roasted eggplant alongside grilled tofu and green salad. Or just do like I do and eat it by hand straight from the pan.
* A quick note about roasting from a mistake-maker (me!) — don't crowd the pan. If you need to double the recipe, make a second baking sheet. Vegetables will steam and not roast if they get too crowded.
Balsamic-Glazed Roasted Eggplant
1 large eggplant
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
Balsamic Glaze
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp honey or brown sugar
Wash the eggplant and dry thoroughly. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Halve the eggplant and slice into about 1-1/2 to 2" cubes, keeping the skin. Spread the pieces on the kitchen towel, skin side down, and sprinkle with the salt. Make sure a little of the salt gets onto each piece. Let sit for 45 minutes to an hour. You should be able to see little beads of water forming on the vegetable cubes.
Heat the oven to 400ยบ. Use the kitchen towel to gently press the salt and excess moisture out of the eggplant. Spread the eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Toss to coat. (Add more oil if you like but don't add too much because eggplant just absorbs it.) Bake 30-40 minutes, turning the pieces once to let them brown evenly. The finished eggplant should be soft and deeply browned. Try a piece to determine if it's finished.
Mix the glaze in a bowl or shake it up in a small jar. Pour over the eggplant and toss. Serve the hearty, roasted eggplant alongside grilled tofu and green salad. Or just do like I do and eat it by hand straight from the pan.
* A quick note about roasting from a mistake-maker (me!) — don't crowd the pan. If you need to double the recipe, make a second baking sheet. Vegetables will steam and not roast if they get too crowded.
1 comment:
Not a huge eggplant fan,b ut this looks edible. Never had it roasted.
Jules
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