Few foods can lay claim to causing insanity, acting as an aphrodisiac, and serving as a dental cosmetic. Eggplant, Japanese or the common round ones can. It is a fruit, not a vegetable. Technically it is a berry and a member of the nightshade family. First cultivated In India, it made it’s way to China and then into the Middle East. It was in Spain be the eighth century, having be introduced by the Moors. Eggplant is commonly associated with foods of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Fried eggplant is distinctly American and appears in Southern cookbooks as early as 1824.
FANCY GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT
Bobby Flay – serves 2
4 Japanese eggplants
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
3 garlic cloves minced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Place eggplants in a baking dish
Mix in a small bowl, soy, dry sherry and garlic
Marinate 1 hour
Preheat your grill
Season with salt and pepper
Grill each side for 3 minutes
Top with sesame seeds
Serve
SIMPLE GRILLED JAPANESE EGGPLANT
serves 4
4 eggplants
Olive oil
Salsa if desired
Prepare a fire or light your gas grill
Cut the eggplants in half lenghtwise
Brush with olive oil and add a good bit of salt and pepper
Place on your medium hot grill and cook till browned and soft
3 minutes or so on each side
Serve
NOTE : The same preparation applies to round eggplants too. Small ones can be cut in half and larger ones sliced into 1 inch pieces.
GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH PESTO
Your favorite pesto
Use the same recipe as above. When cooked. Slice groves lengthwise in the eggplant and stuff with room temperature pesto
JAPANESE EGGPLANTS WITH GARLIC AND BASIL
serves 4 to 6
4 or 6 Japanese eggplants cut in ¼ inch slices – discard the bottom piece with the skin if you desire
Rock or Kosher salt
Olive oil
3 or 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic, or to taste
½ cup of chopped basil leaves
White wine vinegar or red wine if preferred
Sprinkle eggplants with salt and place on towels
Let sit of 1 hour
Dry well
In a small amount of olive oil, quickly fry eggplant until browned.
Drain the oil off if needed
Place a layer into a casserole and sprinkle with the garlic, basil and vinegar.
Repeat until all the eggplant is used.
Serve warm, cold or at room temerature