Excellent eggplant

BY ELIZABETH LATHAM

Eggplant, aubergine or brinjal: it is all the same depending on where you live in the world. It has to be one of the most beautiful vegetables; purple-black, shiny skin, most commonly ovoid in shape.

Slice it in half and the visuals are more subtle. The beige-coloured flesh of the eggplant has a strangely rubbery texture and small seeds that can be bitter.

When the vegetable is cooked it absorbs oils and juices like a sponge and takes on their flavours. Biologically it is a fruit but we think of it as a vegetable. It is a relative of tomatoes and potatoes, and is a member of the nightshade family. It originated in India and is now cultivated all around the world.

It comes in many sizes and colours, with cultivars of many colours including some that are white or yellow with fruit that resemble eggs. The story goes that the name eggplant came about when yellow and white plants were introduced to Australia and people believed that the plant would actually produce eggs.

It is not so exotic here, where the oval, deep purple eggplant is the one most commonly seen in vegetable markets and is everywhere at the moment as it is the eggplant's time of year.

It grows easily and prolifically in hot climates. It needs heat to grow well and to form fruit to a reasonable size.

Eggplant is really nutritious with dietary fibre, vitamin B1, B6 and potassium. It also contains an important anthocyanin phytonutrient called nasunin, found in the skin, which is a powerful antioxidant.

The debate about whether eggplant should be salted continues. It used to be that eggplant needed to be salted to remove the bitterness of the seeds and there are some who say this should still be done for older and larger eggplants. The bitterness seems to have been largely removed from eggplants through breeding of newer cultivars.

If you do decide to salt eggplant you need to realise that it dramatically reduces the amount of oil or juices that the vegetable will absorb. This can be a real disadvantage to a recipe.

To salt, simply rub salt into the cut surface and leave for about 20 minutes. Wash off the salt and then pat dry before sauteeing.

Eggplant can be cooked in a variety of ways. It is fabulous grilled on the barbecue – fat slices with salt and pepper and lashings of olive oil. Place the pieces straight on the grill and cook until golden brown and the flesh has softened.

You can roast eggplant. Slice in half lengthways, add salt, pepper and oil and put in a hot oven – it takes about 30 minutes to cook. The flesh will soften and the skin will shrivel a little. There are lots of ways to further prepare the eggplant after roasting depending on the cuisine you choose. You can add a range of herbs or spices and given the sponge-like quality of the flesh of the eggplant, the flavours of the seasoning are absorbed beautifully. It combines really well with cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli and equally well with oregano, basil, thyme and garlic.

Eggplant is central to the classic French dish ratatouille, where eggplant is sauteed and combined with a range of vegetables to make a delicious stew.

In Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine it is central to many vegetarian and meat dishes such as the smoky eggplant puree baba ghanoush which is a combination of roast eggplant, yoghurt or tahini, garlic and lemon juice. The Greek dish moussaka is made with eggplant and ground lamb, and eggplant parmigiana is a classic Italian dish which combines eggplant with parmigiana cheese.

RATATOUILLE PROVENCALE

Serves 4

There are many variations on the recipe for ratatouille. Given that our culinary programme co-ordinator Serge Crottaz is French Swiss it seems fitting to have his version as he claims it is as close to authentic as possible.

Serge says: "This is a traditional recipe from the Provence region of southern France, it is cooked for a long time and the finished ratatouille is a type of vegetable stew where the ingredients are fully cooked and soft."

300g of sliced onions
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
400g green, red or yellow pepper or a mixture, cut into strips
400g courgettes
400g eggplant (the small are better and firmer}
1 Tbsp of tomato paste
400g tomatoes
200ml extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig of thyme
Salt and pepper

Cut pepper, courgettes, eggplants and tomatoes into cubes.Use enough olive oil in a hot frying pan to saute the onion and garlic until the onion is soft and the garlic slightly brown.

Add the peppers and saute until golden brown, transfer to a thick-bottomed pan and start simmering gently.

Reheat the frying pan until hot and saute the courgettes until golden brown; add to the simmering peppers, saute the eggplants in the same manner, add to the simmering ratatouille. Increase the heat under the pan, add the tomato paste, mix gently and saute the ratatouille for 2 minutes (this removes some of the acidity from the tomato paste), lower the heat, add the tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid. Simmer the ratatouille until tender (approximately 40 minutes).

At the end you may need to stew the ratatouille on high heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken it a little. Keep mixing gently so it does not burn on the bottom. Enjoy straight away with your favourite fish dish or on its own. Ratatouille is also good eaten cold. Bon appetit.

EGGPLANT CAVIAR

1 large eggplant
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
2 shallots
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Peel the eggplant and cut into small cubes. Put the eggplant in a baking dish, season with salt and pepper, and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of water, cover tightly, and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until very soft.

While the eggplant is baking slice the shallots finely. Combine with the balsamic vinegar. Peel and mash the garlic and add it to the shallots and vinegar.

When the eggplant is cooked add it to the shallot and garlic mixture, mashing with a fork or combining in a food processor. Let it cool to room temperature.

Stir in the chopped parsley and adjust the seasoning. Add additional olive oil and vinegar to taste.

EGGPLANT SAMBAL

1 eggplant
1 tsp each of turmeric, coriander and cumin
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
1 hot chilli.
1/2 red onion
2 limes
Lots of fresh coriander coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of good quality unsweetened yoghurt

Roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan and then pound using a mortar and pestle. Add the turmeric powder.

Roast an eggplant using the method described above.

When the eggplant is roasted and cool enough to handle, remove the skin and mash the flesh finely. Add the spices, the finely chopped chilli and red onion, lime juice, coriander and yoghurt. This is delicious with lamb of any description and any vegetarian curry meal.

• Written by Elizabeth Latham; research by Elizabeth Latham and Serge Crottaz, the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Wellbeing at the Nelson-Marlborough Institute of Technology. Fresh at NMIT appears fortnightly in Fresh, exploring the local connection to food and beverage through the eyes of the region's leading hospitality educators.

- © Fairfax NZ News