The secret to cooking super creamy eggplant (and do you really need to salt it?) (2024)

FAQs

The secret to cooking super creamy eggplant (and do you really need to salt it?)? ›

Salting versus brining

Sara Jenkins, chef and owner of Porsena in New York City has cooked many an eggplant in her career and firmly believes salting is unnecessary. "I have rarely found an eggplant that is so bitter that it needs salting. I just cut it up, toss the pieces with olive oil, and start cooking." she says.

Salting the cut side of an eggplant before you cook it helps draw out water—we won't go into the specific science, but it involves words like “osmosis” and “ions”—and jump starts that process.

Modern eggplant has had bitterness nearly bred out of it, so many cooks have given up the practice. Salting the slices for eggplant Parmesan is not to prevent bitter flavors, but to season the eggplant itself and, at least in my experience, keep the eggplant from sucking up too much of the olive oil from frying.

Slice your eggplant with the skin on (this will help it keep its shape). Brush it lightly with oil. Grill over a hot flame until the flesh is tender and you have beautiful char marks, about 5 minutes per side.

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Milk is said to help draw out the bitterness in eggplant. Our recipe doesn't call for milk, but if you're worried that your eggplant will taste bitter, you can soak the slices in milk for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and pat them dry before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, "Do you peel eggplant before cooking?" is yes, peel it. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin.

Heat 1/4 inch of grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until hot enough for frying. The ideal temperature for frying eggplant is about 365-375 degrees F.

A common mistake that leads to this mushy mess is using too much oil. Of course, you want to fry the slices, but they do not need to be deep fried. You want them to have a crispness that will stand up the other soggy components, the melted cheese, and the tomato sauce.

Does Chinese eggplant need to be salted? ›

Do you need to salt Chinese eggplant? Nope! Because they have fewer seeds, Chinese eggplants are less bitter than globes and do not need to be salted. Salt is used to draw out bitterness, but this variety is naturally sweet.

Eggplants can be grilled, steamed, braised, stir-fried, deep-fried and roasted. For a smoky flavour, turn whole eggplants over an open flame on the barbecue or stovetop until the skin is charred, then scoop out the flesh. Choose eggplants with smooth and shiny skin that is even across the surface.

If it's an extra-large eggplant, the vegetable could be older and the skin tougher, therefore, it's a smart idea to peel it. But small, young eggplant have thin, tender skins that add great texture to the vegetable when cooked.

Why do you soak eggplant in water and vinegar? Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness. This step also helps preserve some of the skin's color so it stays a vibrant purple even after cooking.

Many recipes call for eggplants to be salted and rinsed to draw out any bitter juices, but this shouldn't be necessary if they're fresh. If the seeds are too defined or feel hard, the eggplant may be old and should be salted.

One of the trick for frying fried item in such a way that it not soak much of oil, is to add little salt to the frying pan with Oil. This makes the fried item not to absorb much oil. The oil has to be HOT! If you put the eggplant in the pan before it's really up to temperature, it will soak up more oil.