Tip: How to Roast Eggplants

Middle Eastern cuisine has numerous eggplant (aubergine) dishes. Many use roasted eggplants. The most famous Arabic appetizers ”Mazze” using roasted eggplants are Mutabal and Baba Ghanoush (or Baba Ghanouj as some refer to it).

So, I thought of sharing the different methods for roasting eggplants. All methods yield the same result, and which method you follow depends on your personal preference and convenience.

How to roast eggplants:

Before you start roating your eggplants, you need to wash the eggplants and dry them well. Then roast following one of these methods:

• Pierce the eggplant a few times with a fork. Place a metal roasting plate on the oven top, open the fire to medium-high and place the eggplant on it. Rotate every few minutes until the whole outer skin is charcoal. The process will take from 15-25 minutes. Remove from fire and put in a bowl and cover till it cools; about 1/2 an hour after which you can peel the skin.
• Pierce the eggplant a few times with a fork. Wrap the eggplant well with an aluminum foil making sure that all sides are closely covered. If roasting more than one eggplant, wrap each individually. Then you either place the wrapped eggplant on the stove top and open the fire and follow the steps of the first method or you place them in a preheated oven at 400° for around 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant.  After your remove the eggplant from the fire or oven, set aside for 1/2 an hour before you unwrap the foil to peel the skin.
• Cut the eggplant in half, with a sharp knife score the inner flesh diagonally in an X shape pattern. Place on a baking sheet, flesh side down, and bake in a preheated oven at 400° for 40-50 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant. Cool for 1/2 an hour then with a spoon scoop the flesh from the skin. 
• This is my preferred method but I have to warn you it only works if you have a nearby bread bakery or pizzeria that has a large gas or wood oven. I place my eggplants in a baking pan and ask the pizzeria if they will place the pan in their oven against a fee. In the large oven the roasting doesn't take more than 10 minutes. After the pan is removed from the oven, I cover the pan with aluminium foil sealing the edges well. With this method you have no mess or smell in the house, and it is quick and easy!!

To peel roasted eggplants:

First you have to wait until they are relatively cool, and while cooling make sure they are in a covered dish or wrapped with aluminum foil. You can peel the skin either with a knife or your hands. I find that peeling the skin under low-pressure running cold water is easier and faster. After that I place the eggplants in a sieve to drain. 

Some like to keep the eggplant juices for using it in the dish as it gives extra flavor. If you plan on doing that, don't peel under running water.

I usually roast 6-10 eggplants. Once I peel them I divide them into portions of two and place them in airtight containers and freeze. When I want to prepare a dish that calls for roasted eggplants, I remove the container from the freezer the night before and leave them on the kitchen counter to thaw.

To remember:  When choosing your eggplants choose the medium sized once as the large ones may be a little bitter and you don't want to risk that.

Hope you enjoyed today’s cooking tip: How to Roast Eggplants.
Do you have any tips to share for roasting eggplants?

اضغط الرابط لقراءة كيف نشوي الباذنجان باللغة العربية